Arcana of Fate
by spiralgamer
Summary: Sequel to Awakening of the Soul. A new year has arrived at Tokyo University Duel Academy and Spiral and his friends have returned. New students join in, but there's also a mysterious group lurking in the shadows, as well as another twist that they won't see coming. Spiral and his friends must prepare their most dangerous fights yet, filled with love, mystery, humor and drama.
1. Chapter 1: New School Year

**The wait is over, my fellow readers! The sequel to my previous Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL Fanfiction _Awakening of the Soul_ has finally arrived! If you haven't read _Awakening of the Soul_ yet, I suggest that you do. There will be several references to the events of that story and I just want to make the reading of my stories much more accessible. I know of a few people who have already read my story completely, but for those of you who just came here, I highly suggest you read _Awakening of the Soul_ before reading up on this story so things will make sense. For those of you who are concerned about differentiating between OCs and OC cards, I plan to give them a complete description and underline their names. At the end of the chapter, I will provide a list of voice actors for each of the characters and provide full descriptions of OC cards. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! And please review, I'd appreciate any feedback you guys give me to improve my story as necessary.**

* * *

*Tokyo University Duel Academy, Front Gates*

It was a sunny, spring April morning at Tokyo University Duel Academy. Cherry blossoms fluttered in the breeze and the birds were chirping and flying around. At the front gates stood _Spiral_ (Age 15), a boy with violet, somewhat spiky hair with a small bang down the middle, wearing a pair of jeans and white shirt. He was standing alongside his friend _Naoto Akiyama_ (Age 15) with a skinny body, short, dark blue hair and a typical Spring school uniform consisting of a white T-shirt and black pants.

"When do you think they'll get here?" Naoto asked.

"Sometime today, that's for sure." Spiral responded. "I understand your impatience. I can't wait for their arrival either. It's been almost a month seen we've seen them."

"Do you think they'll even be in our class this year?" Naoto asked. "Will we even be in the same class together?"

"My mom'll probably make sure that they are." Spiral answered. "She IS the principal after all."

Just then, a smaller boy with short, grey hair wearing the same uniform as Naoto walked up to the two. His name was _Shroud _(Age 10).

"Ah." Shroud sighed. "The weather is quite lovely, isn't it? ... Too bad I'm not an outdoor person."

"It IS nice..." Spiral agreed as he stared into the sky. "Spring is so beautiful in Japan... too bad the rest of the world gets nothing but rain."

"And the occasional late snowfall." Shroud pointed out. "What are you two doing?"

"Remember how Aura and the twins had to go back home?" Naoto said. "They'll be coming back today. What are you doing here?"

"I saw you guys and wanted to ask." Shroud said. "Now that my curiosity has been satiated, I will be going now."

Shroud then walked away.

"... He can be such a douche sometimes." Naoto commented.

"Wait, is that them?" Spiral asked.

Naoto looked beyond the school gates to see a group of people walking toward the school, but they couldn't make out who they were. The two waited in anticipation and as the people got much closer... it wasn't the people they were looking out for. Instead, it was one of their friends, _Hikari Suta _(Age 15), a girl with light purple hair who had fashioned her uniform into something with a longer skirt that was a few inches above her ankles and mostly covered in light blue. She was accompanied by a smaller girl they had not recognized at all. This new girl had dark blue hair with pigtails and was wearing the standard girl's uniform.

"Oh man!" Spiral reacted.

"What's wrong?" Hikari asked.

"Nothing." Spiral answered. "We thought you might be someone else... Wait, who's this?"

The small girl looked a little scared, judging by how her lip slightly curled up and took a step back.

"You'll have to excuse her, she's a bit shy." Hikari told them. "She got lost on her way here, so I offered to take her here myself. She barely spoke the whole time we walked here, so I don't quite know her name."

Spiral then began to take small, slow steps closer to her, as if he was trying to get closer to a stray cat.

"It's okay, we're not gonna hurt you." Spiral said to her. "My name is Spiral. The nice girl who helped you is Hikari. What is your name?"

"...mmm... mmmm..." The girl struggled to find the proper words. "A... Azusa... _Azusa Hirano _(Age 14)... I'm sorry... I just have problems talking with new people..."

"You'll get used to us eventually." Spiral assured her.

"If only Shroud could adjust like that." Naoto commented.

"... Hikari... where's Lilith?" Spiral asked. "My mom said that she would be attending our classes."

"... Oh, crap!" Hikari shouted. "She must have wandered off while I was helping this girl!"

"Is this who you're looking for?" A female voice came from the school gates.

They looked over and saw a girl with short blue hair and wearing a sleeveless, open jacket with a blue T-shirt and black pants dragging another girl, whom had blonde hair and wore a purple striped shirt and blue jeans. More precisely, it was their friend _Asuka Mizuo _(Age 15) dragging their other friend _Lilith _(Age ?).

"I saw her going crazy at a local McDonald's." Asuka told them. "Ever since we took her there, it's the only restaurant she can think about! Eating too much of that shit can make you sick and fat!"

"Have you forgotten that I'm not a normal human being?" Lilith questioned. "It might as well be impossible for me to get sick or fat because it IS impossible!"

Lilith then noticed Azusa.

"I-I mean, I love French fries!" Lilith nervously said.

"You'll have to forgive Lilith." Spiral told Azusa. "She's a little weird."

"Who's the kid?" Asuka asked.

"Well, we've never seen her around and she got lost on the way here." Spiral stated. "Are you one of the new first-year students?"

Azusa nods.

"We're second-year students." Naoto told her. "We can show you around if you'd like."

"Wait, I thought we were going to wait for Aura and the twins." Spiral reminded him. "I'm not gonna leave this spot until they get here."

"SPIIIIRAAAAL!" A female voice called out to him.

Spiral looked past the gates and saw a cute young girl with short, cyan-colored hair wearing a yellow shirt and a pink medium skirt. She was accompanied by two Chinese twins. Both twins had pink hair with a bun in it, wearing the upper part of Chinese dresses as shirts, which were red and white, and purple pants. One of them had her bun on the left side of her head while the other had her bun on the right side of her hair. The three of them ran quickly towards Spiral and without warning, the older girl and one of the twins, the one with the bun on the right side of her head, glomped him.

"It's good to you guys again!" Spiral greeted them.

The ones that glomped him were _Aura _(Age 15) and _Chun Xu _(Age 11). The other twin was _Chan Xu _(Age 11).

"Chun, I told you to not go crazy when we saw them again!" Chan told her sister.

"I couldn't help it!" Chun cried. "I missed you guys so much!"

"I couldn't help myself either." Aura said. "I see that everyone's here... wait, where are Shroud and Momo?"

"Shroud came by not lone ago and Momo... I'm not sure where she is." Spiral answered.

"I've been here this whole time."

Naoto looked behind him and was startled by how there was a girl hanging from the tree by her legs. This caused Naoto to exclaim in surprise and fall back a little. The girl then flipped and landed on the ground on her feet, revealing herself to be a beautiful young girl with a slim, well-endowed, athletic and curvaceous build covered by a white T-shirt and jeans. She also had black hair that was held back tightly in a topknot that dropped below her waist.

"There you are, _Momo _(Age 17)." Spiral said.

"Who's the new girl?" Chan asked as she got near Azusa.

"She's cute..." Chun said with a jealous look on her face. "Are you replacing me? !"

"What? ! No!" Spiral responded. "Why would we replace our friends? !"

"Yay! I'm still the cute one!" Chun cheered.

"This is one of the new first-year students, Azusa Hirano." Hikari introduced her.

"I know some of us look younger or older than normal, but we're all second-year students like our friends." Chan stated as she held out her hand.

Azusa was a little shy to shake her hand.

"Don't be shy." Hikari told her.

"Shyness?" Chun said. "Am I no longer the cute one of our group of friends? !"

"Anyway, now that the gang's all back together, let's go show Azusa around the school." Naoto suggested. "Wait, is this your first time here?"

"Y-yeah." Azusa nodded.

"Then we'd better show her around." Spiral said. "We should show her where to go to find any of us. We should also stop by her homeroom at some point. You have your homeroom number, right?"

"But... what about classes?" Azusa asked.

"Today is just an assembly to introduce new students." Momo stated. "That doesn't start until later in the morning."

* * *

The nine of them showed Azusa around the school. One of their first stops was where Azusa would have homeroom, Classroom 1-3. They looked in the classroom and saw only a handful of students.

"There's not many people here." Azusa spoke up.

"They're probably either unpacking in their dorm rooms or goofing off until orientation starts." Naoto stated.

"Since there's nothing of real interest here right now, we should probably show you where our classroom is just in case you have any more questions for us or if you want to see us again." Spiral said.

They went upstairs to where their homeroom class would be, Classroom 2-2. When they entered, it wasn't that much different from the other classroom they entered.

"Oh, before I forget, who's our homeroom teacher going to be?" Aura asked.

"I think I heard my mom say it was going to be Ms. Krystal again." Spiral answered.

"Oh, that reminds me." Momo said as she looked Azusa in the face. "I must warn you about Ms. Krystal. She will make you feel like you're not good enough as a woman."

Azusa simply blinked, completely confused by Momo's statement.

"Wait, what time is it?" Azusa asked.

"It's uh..." Naoto looked at his cell phone and saw the time. "... Holy shit! We're gonna be late for the assembly!"

All of them ran off to the auditorium so they could make it to the assembly on time.

* * *

The ten of them had finally made it to the auditorium and they were able to find some seats right by the entrance.

"I hate having to sit in the back of places." Asuka expressed. "You never get the best view and sometimes you sit behind a guy with big hair."

Asuka looked in front of her and saw that there was a guy with an afro in the seat in front of her.

"Of course." Asuka muttered. "Can one of you move over so I can sit in a different seat?"

"There aren't any other seats left, though." Chan pointed out.

"You can have my seat." Momo said. "I have a better seat in mind."

Momo got up and sat on Spiral's lap, tilted to the side enough so that he could see what would happen on the stage. This caused Spiral to blush a bit. Asuka moved to where Momo was originally sitting.

"I don't understand why you moved." Lilith said as she moved into the seat where Asuka once was, right behind the afro guy. "Ah, I see now." Lilith moved back to her original seat.

Several people were sitting in chairs on the stage, most likely the teachers. One of those people got out of their chair and stepped toward the podium and microphone. That person was a woman in her early 30s with mid-length, violet hair.

"Greetings, students of Tokyo University Duel Academy." She began. "I am Principal _Pulse _(Age 32). Some of you may not be familiar with who I am, since in past years I have remained secluded in my office. From now on, that will no longer be the case. I would like to start by talking about what Tokyo University Duel Academy means..."

The speech went on for almost an hour. While the speech itself was interesting, some students couldn't help but fall asleep or start to become drowsy.

"... Well, it appears that some of you are getting rather bored." Pulse said in the microphone.

This statement caused some of the students to wake up so they wouldn't get in trouble.

"Why don't we make things more interesting?" Pulse suggested. "Would any of you like to Duel?"

Many of the students raised their hands up. Just then, Lilith grabbed Azusa's arm and lifted it up.

"This girl would like to Duel!" Lilith shouted.

"WHAT? !" Azusa yelled. "I don't want to do this!"

"Come on! It builds character!" Lilith told her.

"But..." Azusa mumbled.

"How about if I Duel you?" Spiral asked. "Just focus on me and your cards. Block everything else out. That might help you stay calm."

"O... Okay." Azusa responded.

"I volunteer to be her opponent!" Spiral called out.

"Very well then." Pulse said. "Please come up to the stage."

Spiral guided Azusa toward the stage and both took opposite positions on the sides of the stage. Azusa ended up looking at the crowd and started to look like she was in a trance.

"Azusa?" Spiral called to her, then walked up to her. "Azusa, look at me."

Azusa then looked right at Spiral's face.

"Just focus on me. The crowd doesn't exist." Spiral tried to calm her down. "Take deep breaths and just focus on me."

Azusa took several deep breaths and nodded. Spiral smiled and took his position on the other side of the stage. Both Spiral and Azusa activated their Duel Disks and put on their Duel Gazers.

"Let's Duel!" They both shouted.

The crowd roared with excitement.

**Spiral (LP 4000) Azusa (LP 4000)**

"You go first!" Spiral said.

"Okay." Azusa said as she drew her first card. "Since I don't control any monsters, I can Special Summon Xenoknight Phiona (Lv.4 1000/1900) in defense mode!"

A lady with short orange hair clad in silver heavy armor carrying a giant shield appeared on Azusa's side of the field.

"Next, I summon Xenoknight Melody (Lv.3 1000/300)!" Azusa continued.

A lady with long green hair wearing silver light armor holding a small, golden harp appeared on the field.

"When she's summoned, I can Special Summon one Xenoknight from my Deck!" Azusa stated. "I'm going to summon Xenoknight Ryoko (Lv.4 1800/1100)!"

A lady with brown hair tied in a ponytail wearing a silver ninja dogi carrying several knives appeared on the field.

"I end my turn by placing one card face-down!" Azusa concluded.

"My turn then!" Spiral said as he drew his first card. "First, I summon Legendary Guardian Energy Binder (Lv.2 700/500) in attack mode!"

A small gold and black robot-like being with glowing hands appeared on Spiral's side of the field.

"Since I control a non-Tuner Legend-type card, I can Special Summon the Tuner Legendary Guardian Flame Lancer (Lv.3 1200/700)!" Spiral continued.

A knight holding a flaming lance appeared on Spiral's side of the field.

"And since I successfully Normal Summoned Energy Binder, I can summon the Tuner Legendary Guardian Aviary (Lv.3 1500/700)!"

A humanoid bird appeared on the field.

"Next, I activate Energy Binder's special ability!" Spiral stated. "Each turn, he can decrease the attack and defense points of one of your monsters by 200 for each of his Levels! Since he's currently Level 2, I can lower Xenoknight Ryoko's attack and defense points by 400!"

Energy Binder shot light streams from his fingers that wrapped themselves around Ryoko, reducing her attack and defense points by 400.

"Now I tune Flame Lancer with Energy Binder to Synchro Summon Legendary Guardian Electron (Lv.5 1700/1600)!" Spiral said.

Energy Binder's armor was removed, revealing a human wearing a black and yellow suit that covered most of his body.

"Next, I'll use Electron's ability!" Spiral said. "It's like Energy Binder's, only he can decrease a monster's attack and defense by 300 for each of his Levels! Since he's Level 5, I'm going to decrease Melody's attack points!"

Electron shot several light streams from the palm of his hand which wrapped around Melody, reducing her attack power to 0.

"Electron, attack Melody!" Spiral declared his attack.

"Hold on!" Azusa exclaimed. "Since I have Xenoknight Ryoko out, you can only attack her! Also, I activate my face-down card Trap Xenoguard! When a Xenoknight is attacked this turn, all of my Xenoknight monsters are switched to defense mode and their defense increases by 500 for each Xenoknight I control when I activate this card until the End Phase!"

Ryoko switched to defense mode and when Electron's attack connected, Ryoko blocked the attack and sent Electron flying backward, inflicting Spiral with 500 points of damage.

**Spiral (LP 3500) Azusa (LP 4000)**

"I end my turn by placing one card face-down!" Spiral finished.

Azusa drew her next card. "First, I switch Melody to defense mode! Then I'm going to overlay my Level 4 Phiona and Ryoko to Xyz Summon Xenoknight Alexandrite (Rank 4 2400/2100)!"

Phiona and Ryoko became two yellow streams of light that entered a cosmic vortex that appeared in front of Azusa. Out of the vortex appeared a female knight with dark blue hair, wearing silver armor and wielding a sword and a medium-sized shield.

"Since I used Phiona to Xyz Summon a Xenoknight, Alexandrite gains 300 attack and defense points!" Azusa pointed out. "Next, I activate the Spell Card Xenoboost! I select one of my Xenoknight monsters and return it to my Deck! Then I can increase the attack points of my other Xenoknight monsters by 200 for each Level of the monster I sent back to my Deck! I return Melody back to my Deck to increase Alexandrite's attack power by 600! Alexandrite, attack Aviary!"

"You can't!" Spiral pointed out. "Electron prevents my other cards from being attacked!"

Alexandrite took her sword and slashed Electron, destroying him and inflicting Spiral with 1300 points of damage.

**Spiral (LP 2200) Azusa (LP 4000)**

"I activate the Trap Guardian's Sacrifice!" Spiral responded. "When a Legend-type card is destroyed in battle, you get hit with damage equal to its attack points!"

Electric sparks hit Azusa, inflicting her with 1700 points of damage.

**Spiral (LP 2200) Azusa (LP 2300)**

"I end my turn!" Azusa said.

Spiral then drew his next card. "First, I summon Legendary Guardian Wave Fighter (Lv.3 1400/800)!"

A woman wearing purple mechanical armor all over her body except her face appeared on Spiral's side of the field.

"Next, I activate the Continuous Spell Legendary Aura!" Spiral continued. "Now when I Xyz Summon a Legend-type card, it gains 1000 attack points until the End Phase! Now I overlay my Level 3 Aviary and Wave Fighter to Xyz Summon Legendary Guardian Blade (Rank 3 2100/2000)!"

Aviary and Wave Fighter turned into green streams of light that entered a cosmic vortex that appeared in front of Spiral. Out of the vortex appeared a tall knight in silver armor that completely covered his entire body and two thin scimitars (curved swords).

"Thanks to Legendary Aura, he gains 1000 attack points!" Spiral explained. "Now equip Alexandrite with Nitro Unit! When a monster equipped with this is destroyed, you take damage equal to its attack points! Blade, attack Alexandrite!"

Blade dashed toward Alexandrite and destroyed her, which caused the Nitro Unit to explode in front of Azusa, reducing her Life Points to 0.

**Spiral (LP 2200) Azusa (LP 0)**

The virtual cards vanished as the Duel ended and Spiral walked up to Azusa.

"You did very well, Azusa." Spiral told her. "You almost had me there."

"But I still couldn't win." Azusa said.

"Winning isn't the point of Dueling." Spiral stated. "Most of the time, it's a game and you're meant to have fun with it. Didn't you have fun Dueling?"

"Y... yeah, I guess I did." Azusa responded.

The two of them shook hands as the crowd cheered for the stunning turnaround the Duel took.

* * *

It was late afternoon and the sun was setting. All ten of them stood outside the school gate.

"The three of us can walk home together, okay?" Hikari asked to Azusa.

"Three?" Azusa asked.

"I'm the second!" Lilith said. "You're the third. I live with Hikari."

"Other than Asuka, the rest of us stay here at the dorms." Spiral stated. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"I can't wait." Azusa said.

Before they left, Momo and Aura grabbed Azusa by her shoulders and whispered something into her ears.

"Go near Spiral and you'll find yourself in a tiny, little grave." They both whispered into Azusa's ear.

That comment creeped Azusa out, but she proceeded to leave with Hikari and Lilith.

"Don't mind them." Hikari told Azusa. "But seriously, if you try to put the moves on Spiral, I will turn you into a stuffed rabbit."

Azusa was even more creeped out and had her eyes wide opened almost all the way home.

While that was going on, Shroud came up to everyone that was still at the school.

"Hey, I haven't seen you guys all day." Shroud said. "What the hell happened? !"

* * *

Later that night, outside of a huge mansion, a very young girl with purple hair tied into two long pigtails, each on the opposite side of her head, wearing a pink and purple outfit complimented by a pink and purple Duel Disk was standing on the branch of a tree. From that point, she watched a family consisting of an American father, a Japanese mother and a 4-year-old girl having dinner. The young girl smiled as she watched the family.

"... I wonder if I'll ever see them again..." The mysterious girl said.

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Alison Viktorin **Chan/Chun**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Kate Higgins **Pulse**

Cassandra Lee **Mysterious Girl**

* * *

**Preview**

**Shroud:** Next time, some broad tries to take the spotlight from me!

**Spiral:** What spotlight? I'm the protagonist!

**Shroud:** I mean the spotlight for the smartest student at Tokyo U!

**Spiral:** I feel the term 'broad' is pretty sexist.

**Naoto:** I just hope he doesn't pester us about it.

**Azusa:** Who was that strange girl at the end?

**Spiral:** To say that would be a major spoiler.

**Shroud:** That statement is a spoiler in itself. Next time on Arcana of Fate! Battle of Brains!

**Naoto:** That title sounds awful, and it's not much of a fight.

**Shroud:** Shut up!

* * *

**Spiral's Cards**

Legendary Guardian Energy Binder

Legend/Effect (ATK 700 DEF 500)

Level 2/LIGHT

As long as this card remains face-up on the field; your opponent cannot select another monster you control as an attack target. Once per turn; you can decrease the ATK and DEF of one monster your opponent controls equal to the Level of this card x200.

Legendary Guardian Flame Lancer

Legend/Tuner (ATK 1200 DEF 700)

Level 3/FIRE

As long as this card remains face-up on the field; your opponent cannot select another monster you control as an attack target. If you control a face-up non-Tuner Legend-type monster; you can Special Summon this card from your hand.

Legendary Guardian Aviary

Legend/Tuner (ATK 1500 DEF 700)

Level 3/WIND

When you successfully Normal Summon a Legend-type monster; you can Special Summon this card from your hand.

Legendary Guardian Electron

Legend/Synchro/Effect (ATK 1700 DEF 1600)

Level 5/LIGHT

1 Legend-type Tuner + "Legendary Guardian Energy Binder"

As long as this card remains face-up on the field; your opponent cannot select another monster you control as an attack target. Once per turn; you can decrease the ATK and DEF of one monster your opponent controls equal to the Level of this card x300.

Guardian's Sacrifice

Trap

When a Legend-type monster you control is destroyed as a result of battle: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster.

Legendary Guardian Wave Fighter

Legend/Effect (ATK 1400 DEF 800)

Level 3/WIND

As long as this card remains face-up on the field; other cards you control cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects. Once per turn, you can select 1 card your opponent controls: one of the following effects activates: *If the selected card is a Spell or Trap Card; it cannot be activated and its effects are negated until the End Phase. *If the selected card is a Monster Card: it cannot attack, change Battle Positions or activate its effect(s) and its effect(s) are negated until the End Phase.

Legendary Aura

Spell/Continuous

When you Xyz Summon a Legend-type Xyz Monster; increase the ATK of that monster by 1000 until the End Phase.

Legendary Guardian Blade

Legend/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2100 DEF 2000)

Rank 3/EARTH

2 Level 3 Monsters

As long as this card remains face-up on the field; your opponent cannot select another monster you control as an attack target. During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card; inflict Piercing Damage to your opponent. If this card would be destroyed; you can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card instead.

**Azusa's Cards**

Xenoknight Phiona

Warrior/Effect (ATK 1000 DEF 1900)

Level 4/LIGHT

If you control no monsters; You can Special Summon this card from your hand. When this card is used as a Xyz Material Monster for a "Xenoknight" Xyz Monster: Increase its ATK and DEF by 300.

Xenoknight Melody

Spellcaster/Effect (ATK 1000 DEF 300)

Level 3/LIGHT

When this card is summoned; You can Special Summon 1 "Xenoknight" monster from your Deck.

Xenoknight Ryoko

Warrior/Effect (ATK 1800 DEF 1100)

Level 4/LIGHT

As long as this cards remains face-up on the field, your opponent cannot select another "Xenoknight" monster you control as an attack target.

Xenoguard

Trap

When a "Xenoknight" monster you control is attacked; All "Xenoknight" monsters switch to Defense Position, and if you do, increase the DEF of all "Xenoknight" monsters you control equal to the number of "Xenoknight" monsters you control x500 until the End Phase.

Xenoboost

Spell

Select 1 "Xenoknight" monster you control. Return the selected monster to your Deck, and if you do, increase the ATK of all other "Xenoknight" monsters you control equal to the Level of the selected monster x200.

Xenoknight Alexandrite

Warrior/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2400 DEF 2100)

Rank 4/LIGHT

2 Level 4 "Xenoknight" Monsters

When a "Xenoknight" monster you control is destroyed by your opponent and sent to the Graveyard: You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster.


	2. Chapter 2: Battle of the Brains

**All right, folks! Got the next chapter done! ... Come to think of it, who says 'folks' anymore? ... The word 'rubbish' feels kind of weird to be saying today, too... I'm sorry, I lost track of what I was talking about. I would also like to take this time to pray for those that were killed and injured during the Boston Marathon bombing the other day... What was I talking about again? Oh yeah! Please enjoy! Also review.**

* * *

*Downtown Tokyo*

It was late at night and the mysterious purple-haired girl was walking down an alley somewhere in downtown Tokyo. Two people wearing white cloaks stepped in front of her, blocking her way.

"Is this the girl Grandmaster told us about?" One of the hooded guys asked.

"Yeah, this is her, all right." The other one nodded. "Said he wanted us to bring her to him."

"All right, girly, come along nicely and no one will get hurt." The first guy demanded.

"... No." The girl responded.

"Maybe you didn't understand." The other guy said. "We're not giving you a choice. So come along with us or we'll make you."

"...You can try... but you'll never catch me." The girl said as she started running away in the opposite direction.

"After her!"

The two guys then chased after her. After making a few sharp turns through the alleys, the two guys saw the girl turn left and then they turned left to find a dead end... but she was gone.

"Where the hell did she go?" The first guy asked.

"She definitely went this way." The other guy stated.

The guys looked up and she was still nowhere in sight.

"There's no way she could have vanished like that!" The first guy said.

The two then started knocking over trash bins and everything to find her, but she was still nowhere to be found.

"Damn it!" The other guy shouted. "This is a dead end and we weren't far behind her! Where could she have gone? !"

The two guys then left the alleyway.

* * *

The next morning, Spiral entered his new homeroom and took a seat in the middle of the classroom, right in front of Naoto's seat. Right next to Spiral was Momo and to his right was Aura, with Hikari right behind her. Shroud took a seat near the front of the class that was closest to the door (this is because it's in an ideal location in case of a fire hazard so he can get out first). Chan and Chun sat in nearby seats right next to each other.

"It's almost time for class." Aura stated. "Where are Asuka and Lilith?"

"Maybe they got lost?" Hikari guessed.

"Or Lilith's getting into trouble." Naoto commented. "It's like trying to take care of a child on Red Bull."

At the last minute, Asuka and Lilith finally entered the classroom.

"Where were you guys?" Momo asked.

"I got lost." Asuka responded.

"Told you." Hikari said to Naoto.

"Where are we supposed to sit?" Asuka asked.

"Ever since Ms. Krystal became our homeroom teacher, there have been no assigned seating." Spiral told her. "You can sit wherever you want."

"... Okay." Asuka said as she and Lilith took seats behind the twins.

DING DONG DONG DING!

The bell rung and everyone who wasn't in their seat immediately took their seat. The classroom door then opened up and their teacher _Ms. Krystal _(Age 24) walked in. She was wearing a pink shirt with a yellow sunflower design and pair of capris pants.

"Good morning, class." Ms. Krystal greeted the class. "Although some of you already know me, I see that there are some of you that are new to the class. I am Ms. Krystal. Today, we will be going over our plans for the coming year."

Without warning, the doors opened and a girl entered the classroom, panting and holding onto the side of the door. She was somewhat smaller than Spiral and Naoto in height, had light brown hair that was tied into two very short pigtails on the sides of her head, wore a brown jacket over a green T-shirt and a black skirt with black leggings under it.

"*pant* *pant* Made it!" The girl still tried to catch her breath. "Sorry I'm late. I was working on something last night and I overslept a bit."

"We just started and you didn't miss anything, so just take your seat." Ms. Krystal told her.

As she walked to one of the empty seats, she passed Shroud's seat.

*... She suspiciously reeks of oil and metal... What was she working on?* Shroud thought.

*... I wonder how Azusa's homeroom class is going?* Spiral wondered in his head.

* * *

In Azusa's homeroom class, Azusa was sitting at her desk when the teacher walked in. He was a creepy-looking guy with glasses and a brown suit.

"Good morning, class." He said out loud before introducing himself.

*... That guy looks SO creepy!* Azusa thought.

"Hey." A male voice came from next to her.

Azusa looked next to her to see a guy with short, dark hair wearing the male uniform.

"The name's _Takashi Fukumori _(Age 14)." The guy greeted her. "What's yours, cutie?"

*... He's just as creepy!* Azusa yelled in her head.

* * *

After the lecture, the students in Ms. Krystal's class were packing their things and getting ready to head to their next class. As the girl that was tardy was packing up her things, Shroud walked right up to her.

"Excuse me, Miss..." Shroud said, waiting for her to respond.

"_Eve _(Age 13)." She told him.

"As you were passing by my desk, I couldn't help but notice the stench of oil and metal coming from you." Shroud stated. "What exactly were you doing last night?"

"... Why did you smell me?" Eve questioned.

"I was breathing through my nose at that time." Shroud clarified.

"... Anyway, I have a hobby of building machines." Eve stated. "I'm still wearing yesterday's clothes and have yet to take a bath."

"Wait... you haven't bathed in the last 24 hours?" Shroud asked.

"Yeah, why?" Eve asked.

Shroud rummaged through his bag, pulled out a can of air freshener and started spraying it all around her. Some of the students passing by took some of it in and coughed slightly.

"What kind of machines do you make?" Shroud asked.

"I make everything." Eve answered. "I was transferred here by a recommendation because my grades were too high."

"Huh..." Shroud said. "Well... I am the youngest person to earn the Fudo Award, which recognizes those with exceptional minds like the titular Yusei Fudo himself."

"How old were you?" Eve asked.

"8." Shroud answered.

"... You WERE the youngest." Eve said as she walked away.

"... I sense a disturbance in the Force." Shroud said.

From slightly further away, Spiral and Naoto couldn't help but stare.

"... What the hell was that all about?" Naoto asked.

"Knowing Shroud... it's anyone's guess." Spiral responded.

* * *

After classes in the boys' dorm room where Spiral, Naoto and Shroud stay, Shroud was busy building something out of scraps of metal while Spiral and Naoto were looking on a laptop.

"Shroud... what are you doing?" Spiral asked.

"I'm building a robot to combat whatever that smartass bitch made!" Shroud said. "Pardon my foul language. You guys have had a negative effect on me. Could one of you look up this girl on the Internet?"

"We don't even know her name." Naoto stated. "You didn't even tell us what it is."

"... Fair enough." Shroud responded. "Could you let me borrow the laptop for a moment?"

"Yeah, sure." Spiral responded as he got out of the chair.

Shroud then got in the chair and started looking stuff up on the computer.

"If I'm going to beat my competition, I need to know my competition." Shroud stated.

"Why is she... Oh!" Naoto realized something. "I get it! You want to be the smartest person in the school and you're afraid of someone being smarter than you!"

"I'm not afraid of someone being smarter than me." Shroud said. "When people become cyborgs, I won't mind if people are smarter than me because how can you beat the efficiency of a machine?"

Spiral and Naoto then looked at what Shroud was making. It was a robot and it looked like it was finished.

"Holy crap, that was quick!" Spiral reacted.

"It's still not finished." Shroud stated. "There are still some adjustments I need to make as well as any necessary modifications."

"You made this out of scrap metal in just an hour?" Naoto asked. "Wait, where did you even get scrap metal?"

"I'm captain of the engineering club." Shroud answered. "Speaking of which, that girl came by again to join... I forbade it. She started arguing with me and challenged me to a robot deathmatch tomorrow after school."

"Does it work yet?" Spiral asked.

"Indeed it does." Shroud confirmed as he got out of the desk and picked up a remote control.

"You got a remote control, too? !" Spiral asked.

"I always keep chips and remote controls well aligned." Shroud said as he began fiddling the remote control.

... But nothing happened.

"... Nothing's happening." Naoto said.

"Did you turn it on first?" Spiral asked.

"I did. It should be on." Shroud said as he continued to fiddle with the remote.

* * *

Meanwhile, Azusa was walking down the hall near the engineering club's room, mumbling to herself.

"I swear if something weird happens again, I'm gonna-"

PLOW!

A small robot with a saw blade for a head burst through the engineering room's door.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Azusa screamed in fear and ran away.

* * *

Back in the boys' room...

"... Those dunderheads must have put the control chips in the wrong order!" Shroud realized. "I'm controlling something else entirely or nothing at all!" Shroud tossed the remote aside and went back to the laptop.

"... And yet you couldn't figure that out beforehand?" Naoto questioned. "... Yeah, you're a genius."

"Shroud, you're overreacting to this." Spiral told him. "You know how they say girls mature faster than boys do?"

"That's just a myth society devised so men wouldn't feel emasculated when they were defeated by a girl." Shroud stated. "... Ah, there you are. I found her blog. Apparently there's a video link on one of the posts... 'Witness the Wrath of the Grim Reaver'... let's check it out."

Whatever was going on in the video, there were the sounds of buzzing, humming and the painful sound of crunching metal.

"... Holy shit! She MADE that? !" Naoto shouted in shock.

_"As you can see, I completely reduced this German Tiger I Tank to a smoldering pile of scrap."_ Eve's voice came from the video.

"Shroud, you can't build a robot that can beat THAT by tomorrow!" Spiral stated.

"It's too late now." Shroud pointed out. "I accepted a challenge, therefore I must participate in that challenge."

"Why didn't you just ask her to a Duel?" Spiral questioned.

"Anyone can Duel." Shroud explained. "The duelist Jaden Yuki was an excellent duelist but he was lazy and kind of stupid. I needed to challenge her on terms in which we can prove our intellectual superiority."

"Shroud, did we not watch the same video?" Naoto questioned. "That tank was completely decimated by a machine less than a quarter of its size!"

"Regardless, I have no choice but to have our machines face each other in mortal combat." Shroud said. "In the meantime, I suggest you leave me to my business which means you'll have to sleep elsewhere tonight."

"Where the hell are we supposed to sleep? !" Naoto asked.

"I don't know... on a park bench maybe?" Shroud guessed.

* * *

Hikari was walking down the hallway Azusa was walking down earlier, with Azusa hiding behind her.

"It came from right over there." Azusa pointed to the door with a hole in it, the machine motionless in front of it.

Hikari went to poke it, but all it did was fall over on its side.

"Well, it's not working right now." Hikari said.

Hikari then noticed Spiral and Naoto walking towards them.

"Oh, Hikari!" Spiral tried to get her attention. "We were looking for you!"

"What is it you nee-" Hikari was about to say.

"Spiral! This school is out to get me! I know it!" Azusa interrupted.

"Why do you think the school's out to get you?" Naoto asked. "That just sounds silly."

"My teacher might be a pervert, the guy next to me tried to hit on me and that robot came out of the engineering room and tried to kill me!" Azusa stated.

"... Oh my God! So THAT'S what that remote control moved!" Naoto realized.

"You know what's going on?" Hikari asked.

"Shroud's been trying to build a robot to beat that new girl in our class and the control chips were mixed up or something." Spiral answered.

"And is the guy that hit on you a first-year?" Hikari asked as she turned to Azusa. "Tries to act like a ladies' man?"

"That sounds like him, yeah." Azusa confirmed.

"Well, he tried hitting on me earlier." Hikari stated. "I told him I wasn't interested and as other girls walked by, he tried to flirt with them, too. Don't worry about it."

"What about my teacher?" Azusa asked.

"Eh, hopefully he'll either be making advances on the other girls in your class or too afraid of lawsuits to do anything." Spiral tolded her.

"Anyway, what was it you wanted to ask?" Hikari reminded them.

"Oh, right! Forgot." Naoto said. "Well, Shroud kicked us out so he could work on the robot without interruptions and we have no place to go. Are there any rooms at your place?"

"There might be room." Hikari said somewhat mischievously.

* * *

Later that night, at the refurbished Christian church where Hikari lives, Naoto was lying on one of the guest beds in the guest bedroom.

"At least I'm all by myself here..." Naoto said to himself. "I wonder why Spiral isn't in here."

* * *

Spiral and Hikari were lying in the same bed next to each other, blankets over each other.

"... Why are we sleeping in the same room?" Spiral asked. "In our undergarments? ... Please tell me this isn't a repeat of the school trip last year."

"No nothing like that." Hikari told him. "I just thought that this might help... bring us closer. Just don't tell Aura and Momo, okay?"

"Um, okay." Spiral responded.

"Great." Hikari smiled. "Let me just snuggle up..."

Hikari then grabbed Spiral's arm and instantly fell asleep.

"...zzz... Spiral... we made such a beautiful baby together..." Hikari mumbled in her sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile in an undisclosed location, the two guys in white that were chasing after the mysterious girl earlier returned and kneeled before a white door.

"Forgive us, Grandmaster." One of the guys said. "She had somehow escaped from us."

...

"Thank you for your consideration, Grandmaster." The other guy responded.

...

"As you wish." The first guy said.

"We will gather as much information from our brethren hidden within society." The other guy said. "We will inform you when we've located a means to apprehend her."

* * *

The next day in the afternoon, Shroud was sitting at the table in the dorm room when Spiral and Naoto came in.

"Hey-" Spiral was about to say when he saw a pile of scrap on the table. "What the hell happened?"

"I lost!" Shroud responded harshly. "What else does it look like? !"

"Easy." Naoto tried to calm him down.

"Do you understand how terrible this damage is?" Shroud asked.

"Are we talking physical or emotional?" Spiral asked.

"I'm 100 percent sure that there have been space probes that have crashed into the desert that were in better shape than this." Shroud stated. "And I just had my butt handed to me on a silver platter! By a girl!"

"Shroud, stop being such a baby about this." Naoto told him.

"And you can't treat women like it's Colonial America." Spiral said. "Women have become far more predominant in today's society in just about every area. From the world of politics with Hilary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi to the realm of video games with the likes of Samus Aran and Lightning...Yeah, Lightning's so badass, she could probably tie with Chuck Norris. And that's really saying something. But back on topic, you can't feel ashamed about being beaten by a girl these days."

"It's more than that." Shroud pointed out. "I'm supposed to be the smartest person in the world. If I can't have that, then I might as well be a deadbeat."

"You're putting yourself on too high of a pedestal!" Naoto said. "You don't have to strive for to be the best, just be the best you can be."

"... That's loser talk!" Shroud responded. "Although, I do have an idea. I'm going to give up on engineering all together and focus on everything else. It might enhance my abilities in those other areas without that one holding me back."

"... Okay, I don't know what to say anymore." Naoto said. "Spiral, what do you think?"

"... Right now I'm thinking about food. Want to go get some?" Spiral asked.

"Sure." Naoto answered.

Spiral and Naoto left the room, leaving Shroud alone.

* * *

Spiral and Naoto found a pizza place somewhere else in Tokyo and were sitting at a table, eating a large pizza.

"You've never had pizza before?" Spiral asked.

"Never, I was told it was greasy and unhealthy." Naoto answered.

"It is greasy, but how healthy it is depends on what's on it." Spiral stated. "I myself am a pepperoni man."

"I never knew what I was missing all these years. "Naoto said. "It's better than almost anything I've ever eaten!"

Just then, Momo, Aura, Hikari, Asuka, Lilith and Azusa entered the place and went up to Spiral and Naoto's table.

"We need to talk!" Momo said.

"Lilith and I are just here for something to eat." Asuka said as she and Lilith went to the front counter.

"What's up?" Spiral spoke.

"You need to do something about Shroud." Aura told them.

"What happened this time?" Naoto asked in exasperation.

"He wanted to do an experiment to see the average time it takes for a lady to... something... after they... 'play with themselves'." Hikari stated.

Spiral and Naoto both spat out their food in shock, accidentally into each other's faces.

"AAAAAHH!" They both screamed.

"OH GOD, IT'S ON ME!" Spiral yelled.

"HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL RIGHT NOW? !" Naoto yelled back.

"Guys, focus!" Momo tried to get their attention.

Spiral and Naoto wiped off there own faces with spare napkins.

"Crap, he must be starving to do research in other areas that he thinks he can't be beaten at." Spiral said.

"The only way I see everything going back to normal is if something happens to that girl, Eve." Naoto expressed.

"... Then all of our problems would be solved." Hikari said.

"... Please tell me you're not thinking of murdering her." Azusa pleaded. "There must be another way!"

"Perhaps there are other methods we could use... like 'biology'." Momo said. "A girl her age must be have estrogen raging inside of her at this point. Distracted by her instincts, she'll start to lose her intellectual edge and Shroud's ego and our lives will return to normal."

"So we need to make her attracted to a guy?" Azusa asked.

"Yep." Momo nodded. "What say the rest of you?"

"Wait, which guy is gonna act as the bait?" Naoto asked.

"Also, what if she swings the other way?" Spiral questioned.

"We should still have the guys go first." Momo responded.

"Maybe that guy in my class who's been hitting on all the girls." Azusa spoke up.

"That could work." Hikari said.

"Naoto and I could help out as well." Spiral said. "... Just for the record, I'm not interested."

* * *

Spiral, Naoto and Takashi arrived at the engineering room, where Eve was working on something using a blowtorch while wearing a welding mask.

"All right, who's going to take first crack at her?" Naoto asked.

"I'll go first." Takashi said. "My charms will surely win her over."

"... You've yet to get a single girl at this school." Spiral pointed out.

"Well, why don't you go do it?" Takashi questioned.

"Because even though I don't have a girlfriend, there are girls who would punish me." Spiral answered.

"Could we just stop arguing, please?" Naoto asked.

Eve turned the blowtorch off, removed her welding mask and turned toward the guys.

"Oh, you're those two guys from my class... and some other guy." Eve said.

"I'm Spiral." Spiral introduced himself. "Naoto sits next to me in class and the other guy is... um..." Spiral tried snapping his fingers to remember.

"Takashi." Takashi reminded him.

"Right." Spiral responded.

"... Well, Spiral, was it? Would your friends mind leaving the room for a bit?" Eve requested. "I have a private matter I need to talk to you about."

"Um... okay..." Spiral responded.

Naoto and Takashi left the room, but just as they closed the door...

"What are you doing here, Naoto?"

Naoto and Takashi turned around to see Shroud was behind him, holding a piece of paper.

"Shroud, what are you doing here?" Naoto asked.

"I'm here to hand in my resignation letter." Shroud answered. "And I asked first, so answer my question."

"... Should we tell the kid?" Takashi asked.

* * *

In the engineering room, Spiral was standing around while Eve grabbed some hand wipes to clean off any oil grease on her hands and face.

"So... what was it you needed to talk to me about?" Spiral spoke up.

Eve then moved to the door and started to lock the doors.

"Eh... what are you doing?" Spiral asked.

"... I never believed that it would ever happen, but it did." Eve said. "Guess that's nature for ya."

"... I'm sorry, I have no clue what you're talking about." Spiral responded.

"I never thought I'd ever find myself attracted to a boy." Eve stated. "I've always thought my exceptional mind made me something above normal humans, but I recently realized I'm still human."

"... Uh..." Spiral didn't know how to respond. "Are you human?"

"Physically, definitely, I'm just so much smarter than the average person I think of myself as an evolved human." Eve explained.

"... And that first part?" Spiral reminded her. "You said you were attracted to someone? Why tell ME this?"

Eve then got her face right in front of his.

"Because you're the boy I'm attracted to." Eve answered.

"... What?" Spiral seemed dumbfounded.

"I want us to do it right here, right now." Eve said. "I locked the doors and I can turn the machines on to drown out the noises."

Spiral could not think of any words to say right now. Then fist punched through a part of the rice paper walls to the room and Shroud's head poked through the hole.

"Thanks, uh..." Shroud said to someone on the other side of the wall.

"Takashi." Takashi's voice came from the other side.

"Takashi, right." Shroud said before turning his attention to Spiral and Eve. "Spiral, you don't have to put your virginity at risk for me."

"What made you think I was going to-You know what? Never mind." Spiral said.

"I'm going to do what I should've done in the first place!" Shroud said. "Eve, I challenge you to a Duel!"

"Very well." Eve responded. "You're gonna get your tiny ass handed to you... again!"

* * *

In the school courtyard outside, Shroud and Eve took opposite ends on one of the Dueling stages putting on their Duel Disks and Duel Gazers while Spiral, Naoto and Takashi were sitting on a nearby bench to watch the Duel.

"Why didn't the kid just challenge her to a Duel in the first place?" Takashi asked.

"Because apparently even stupid people can win a Duel if they play their cards right." Spiral answered. "No pun intended."

"Are you ready to lose?" Eve asked Shroud.

"I think it is you who should prepare to lose." Shroud said back.

"Let's Duel!" They both shouted and drew their first five cards.

**Eve (LP 4000) Shroud (LP 4000)**

"I'll start!" Shroud said as he drew his first card. "I summon Magipsytech Transport Bomb (Lv.4 700/2100) in defense mode!"

A silver bomb with nodes attached to it appeared on Shroud's side of the field.

"Next, I'll set one card face-down and end my turn!" Shroud finished.

"Then it's my turn!" Eve said as she drew her first card. "First, I activate the Continuous Spell Accel Hangar! Now when I Special Summon a Machine-type monster, my Spell gains an Accel Counter! Then I summon Omega Mech 001 (Lv.4 1700/1500)!"

A red and white, highly advanced machine with laser guns for its two arms and was hovering above the ground appeared on Eve's side of the field.

"When he's Normal Summoned while I control no other Machine monsters, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower Omega Mech monster from my hand!" Eve stated. "I now Special Summon Omega Mech 000 (Lv.3 0/0)!"

A red and white egg-like machine appeared on Eve's side of the field.

"When 000 is Special Summoned by the effect of a Machine monster, it gains 1 Level!" Eve said. "Also, once per turn, if I control another Machine-type monster, it can destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field! I choose to destroy your face-down card!"

000 then 'hatched' and a ball of energy appeared in the middle. Then it fired a laser from the energy ball at the face-down card to Shroud's right, which was Time Machine, and destroyed it.

"Next, I send Accel Hangar to the Graveyard to activate it!" Eve continued. "For each Accel Counter that was on it, I can Special Summon one Machine-type monster from my Deck! I summon one more 001! Now I overlay my Level 4 000 and 001s! I Xyz Summon Omega Machine Empress Iris (Rank 4 2700/2600)!"

A giant, pink humanoid robot came out of the Xyz vortex, carrying an ion cannon on its right arm. It was as tall as the school and the school was a pretty large building.

"... Hm..." Spiral mumbled.

"What is it, Spiral?" Naoto asked.

"That card... it feels... unusual." Spiral said. "It's almost like... an expression of Eve... wait, it can't be!"

"What?" Naoto asked again. "What can't be?"

"Remember how last year, after accepting our Demons, we gained a card that represents the Spirit to overcome it?" Spiral asked.

"Are you saying that her monster is her Spirit?" Naoto questioned. "But that doesn't make any sense!"

"There might be more to how to obtain these cards than we initially thought." Spiral said. "Perhaps there are only a select few people who have the potential to obtain one, otherwise the whole world would have these cards."

"... Good point." Naoto simply responded.

"Now I'll activate Iris' ability!" Eve said. "By using one of her Xyz Materials, she can negate a monster's abilities and when that monster is attacked, you get hit with piercing damage!"

Iris lifted her index finger and shot a laser Shroud's monster, negating its effects.

"Next I activate the Spell Card Limiter Removal!" Eve continued. "This doubles the attack power of all Machine monsters on my field!"

"Too bad your monster will be destroyed during the End Phase!" Shroud pointed out.

"I don't think so. You see, Iris can only be destroyed in battle." Eve explained. "Iris, attack his monster now!"

Iris aimed her giant ion cannon at Transport Bomb and fired at it. The blast was so devastating, Shroud's monster completely disintegrated as he lost 3300 Life Points.

**Eve (LP 4000) Shroud (LP 700)**

"And I'll end my turn by activating the Spell Card Hinotama to hit you with another 500 points of damage!" Eve continued.

A fireball hit Shroud, inflicting him with 500 points of damage.

**Eve (LP 4000) Shroud (LP 200)**

"I end my turn and Limiter Removal's effect goes away." Eve said. "Your move. Better make it count."

Shroud then drew his next card. "Yes! I'll start by summoning the Tuner monster Magipsytech Summoner (Lv.2 1100/500)!"

Magipsytech (Magi-psy-tech) Summoner was a tiny magician wearing a red and white cloak.

"When he's Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Magipsytech Psychic-type monster from my hand or Deck!" Shroud explained his card's effect. "I summon Magipsytech Teleporter (Lv.2 900/200) from my Deck!"

Magipsytech Summoner lifted up his scepter and it started to produce a light. Out of the light was a machine with tentacles and a glowing green aura.

"Now that I've Special Summoned Magipsytech Teleporter, I can Special Summon a Magipsytech Spellcaster-type monster from my hand or Deck. I summon another Magipsytech Summoner from my Deck!"

Magipsytech Teleporter extended its tentacles as if it was being set up like a tripod, but with four legs. It then formed a beam from its bottom and another Magipsytech Summoner appeared.

"Since Magipsytech Summoner was Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a Magipsytech Machine-type monster from my hand or Deck! I choose to Special Summon Magipsytech Enforcer (Lv.2 1200/0) from my Deck!"

The second Magipsytech Summoner lifted up his scepter and another light appeared and summoned what looked like a toy robot.

"When Magipsytech Enforcer is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a Magipsytech Psychic-type monster from my hand or Deck! While I could summon another Magipsytech Teleporter, I'll instead choose to Special Summon Magipsytech Kineticist (Lv.4 1600/1400) from my Deck!"

A scientist with cybernetic arms and legs that were connected to his head by wires appeared on the field.

"Now I tune my first Magipsytech Summoner with Magipsytech Teleporter to Synchro Summon Magipsytech Magician (Lv.4 1900/1000)!"

An older and more powerful version to Magipsytech Summoner appeared on the field.

"I now tune my other Magipsytech Summoner with Magipsytech Enforcer to Synchro Summon Magipsytech Cyborg (Lv.4 2000/1000)!"

Some sort of monster attached with cybernetic implants appeared on the field.

"Now I'll overlay my Level 4 Kineticist, Magician and Cyborg to Xyz Summon Gungear (Rank 4 2700/2100)!"

A giant brown and gray mech with gear-like joints with a drill on its right arm and a machine gun on its left arm appeared on Shroud's side of the field.

"Next, I'll use one of Gungear's Xyz Materials so he can gain attack points equal to half of that of your strongest monster!" Shroud said. "Since you only control Iris, he'll be gaining half of her attack points!"

Gungear's attack points raised up to 4050.

"And finally, I'm going to activate the Spell Card Double Spell!" Shroud continued. "By sending a Spell Card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can activate one of your Spell Cards in your Graveyard as one of my own cards! I choose Limiter Removal! So now Gungear's attack power is doubled!"

Gungear's attack power rose to 8100.

"It's over 8000!" Eve shouted as she removed her Duel Gazer and crushed it with her hands. "... Why did I just do that?"

"Gungear, attack Iris now!" Shroud declared his attack.

Gungear stabbed Iris in the solar plexus with his drill and destroyed her, reducing Eve's Life Points to 0.

**Eve (LP 0) Spiral (LP 200)**

"I win! I WIN!" Shroud cheered as he was jumping up and down.

"Whew." Eve sighed. "I almost had you there, but then you used my own card against me. Well played... Captain."

"... What do you mean by that?" Shroud asked.

"It means I've acknowledged you as the captain of the engineering club... that is, if you're still willing to accept me into the club." Eve stated.

"I didn't let you in because I was jealous." Shroud said. "So... no."

"What the hell? !" Eve shouted.

"Gotcha!" Shroud laughed. "Seriously, welcome to the club."

Spiral and the others walked up towards them.

"Eve, mind if I ask you something about that card you played?" Spiral asked. "How did you get it?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure myself." Eve replied. "It just appeared in my Deck the other day, not long after that... 'revelation' I told you about. I just accepted that I wasn't who I thought I was or wanted to be and it suddenly appeared in my Extra Deck."

"So then it proves my hypothesis." Spiral said. "That card is a manifestation of gaining the spirit to overcome your suffering or emotional stress. Shroud's Gungear is such a card, I have a card, Naoto has one, even some of my other friends have one. To be honest, I thought this was something exclusive to what happened to us last year, but I guess there's more to these Spirit Cards that we just don't know about."

"... I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about. "Takashi spoke up.

"Wow, cool and smart? You're the complete package, aren't you Spiral?" Eve asked.

Naoto then looked down a bit.

"What's wrong, Naoto?" Spiral asked in concern.

"Oh... it's... nothing." Naoto simply responded. "Nothing at all..."

Naoto then left.

"... So anyway, Shroud." Eve spoke up. "I hear that you're a whiz in physics. Pair that up with my engineering know-how and I think we can make something big! The one thing the world has been dying to get!"

"Are you thinking-" Shroud said.

"Oh yeah!" Eve said.

"Then let's get started!" Shroud said in excitement.

Shroud and Eve then left to work on something 'big', leaving Spiral and Takashi alone.

"... So, have you had pizza?" Spiral asked. "One of the best culinary creations ever concocted by man. Try saying that three times fast."

* * *

Naoto was back at the front door of his dorm room.

*... Spiral's so lucky...* Naoto thought. *He has at least four girls falling for him without even trying... If I had his luck, maybe...*

Naoto then opened the door, entered the room and slammed the door shut in anger.

* * *

A couple of days later at night, the guys in white came back to the undisclosed room, kneeling before the white door again.

"Grandmaster, one of our agents within Tokyo University Duel Academy have discovered some very interesting information." One of the guys said. "Apparently, two of the brightest minds in the academy are building something that might assist us in apprehending the girl."

...

"Of course." The other guy said. "We will tell you everything we know, Grandmaster."

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Alison Viktorin **Chan/Chun**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Johnny Yong Bosch **Takashi**

Cassandra Lee **Mysterious Girl**

* * *

**Preview**

**Spiral:** Well that was an interesting chapter...

**Chan:** Spiral, I don't think it's fair for the other male characters that you get all the girls.

**Spiral:** Hey, I don't do it on purpose. That'd be like comparing me to Justin Beiber and I WILL NOT be compared to that talentless blowhard!

**Chan:** Maybe you should try making it up to Naoto.

**Takashi:** What about me?

**Spiral:** Eh, nothing's really planned for you right now in terms of love interests.

**Takashi:** ... What? !

**Spiral:** Next time on Arcana of Fate! Operation Hookup!

**Takashi:** Seriously, is anyone going to answer my question? !

* * *

**Shroud's Cards**

Magipsytech Tansport Bomb

Machine/Effect (ATK 700 DEF 2100)

Level 4/LIGHT

When this card is destroyed as a result of battle: You can Special Summon 1 "Magipsytech" monster from your Deck. When this card is destroyed by a card effect: You can Special Summon 1 "Magipsytech" monster from your hand or Graveyard.

Magipsytech Summoner

Spellcaster/Tuner (ATK 1100 DEF 500)

Level 2/DARK

When this card is Normal Summoned; you can Special Summon a Psychic-type "Magipsytech" monster from your hand or Deck. When this card is Special Summoned; you can Special Summon a Machine-type "Magipsytech" monster from your hand or Deck.

Magipsytech Teleporter

Psychic/Effect (ATK 900 DEF 200)

Level 2/LIGHT

When this card is Normal Summoned; you can Special Summon a Machine-type "Magipsytech" monster from your hand or Deck. When this card is Special Summoned; you can Special Summon a Spellcaster-type "Magipsytech" monster from your hand or Deck.

Magipsytech Enforcer

Machine/Effect (ATK 1200 DEF 0)

Level 2/LIGHT

When this card is Normal Summoned; you can Special Summon a Spellcaster-type "Magipsytech" monster from your hand or Deck. When this card is Special Summoned; you can Special Summon a Psychic-type "Magipsytech" monster from your hand or Deck.

Magipsytech Kineticist

Psychic/Effet (ATK 1600 DEF 1400)

Level 4/DARK

When this card is Normal Summoned while your Life Points are lower than your opponent's; increase the ATK of this card by 1000. When this card is Special Summoned while your Life Points are higher than your opponent's; decrease the ATK of one monster your opponent controls.

Magipsytech Magician

Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect (ATK 1900 DEF 10000

Level 4/DARK

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Magipsytech" monsters

When this card is Synchro Summoned; you can destroy 1 monster on the field. When this card is Special Summoned; you can destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field.

Magipsytech Cyborg

Machine/Synchro/Effect (ATK 2000 DEF 1000)

Level 4/EARTH

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Magipsytech" monsters

When this card is Synchro Summoned; Increase the ATK of this card by 500 for each Spellcaster-, Psychic- and Machine-type monster you control. When this card is Special Summoned; Decrease the ATK of 1 monster your opponent controls by 500 for each Spellcaster-, Psychic- and Machine-type monster you control.

Gungear

Machine/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2700 DEF 2100)

Rank 4/EARTH

3 Level 4 Monsters

Once per turn; If this card would be destroyed, it is not destroyed. You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to increase the ATK of this card equal to half the ATK of the monster your opponent controls with the highest ATK, and if you do, the effects of Spells and Traps are negated when this card attacks (These effects last until the end of the Damage Step).

**Eve's Cards**

Accel Hangar

Spell/Continuous

When a Machine-type monster is Special Summoned: Place 1 "Accel Counter" on this card (max. 5). You can send this face-up card to the Graveyard; Special Summon any number of Level 4 or lower Machine-type monsters up to the number of "Accel Counters" on this card from your Deck.

Omega Mech 001

Machine/Effect (ATK 1700 DEF 1500)

Level 4/LIGHT

When this card is Normal Summoned while you control no other Machine-type monsters: You can Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower "Omega Mech" monster from your hand.

Omega Mech 000

Machine/Effect (ATK 0 DEF 0)

Level 3/LIGHT

When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a Machine-type monster: Increase the Level of this card by 1. Once per turn while you control another Machine-type monster; You can destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field.

Omega Machine Empress Iris

Machine/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2700 DEF 2600)

Rank 4/LIGHT

3 Level 4 Machine-type Monsters

This card can only be destroyed as a result of battle. Once per turn; You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card and select 1 monster your opponent controls. Negate the effects of the selected monster and, if the selected monster is in Defense Position, when attacked by a monster whose ATK is higher than the DEF of the selected monster, inflict piercing Battle Damage to your opponent.


	3. Chapter 3: Operation Hookup

**The new chapter us up! I managed to get it done faster than I thought I would! I feel I must warn you that the beginning of this chapter is a bit... well, I don't want to spoil too much of the story now, do I? Anyway, I hope you all enjoy... and review.**

* * *

*Tokyo University Duel Academy, Boys' Dorm Room*

Spiral, Shroud, Momo, Eve, Azusa, Takashi, Aura, Hikari, Chan, Chun, Asuka and Lilith were all sitting in front of the television, watching whatever was on.

"… Okay, now that it's commercial, I want to talk about a little problem with Naoto." Spiral spoke up. "His little habit of… uh… 'personal amusement' has been getting a little out of hand lately."

"I'm sure it's just a phase." Momo said.

"Yeah, all guys go through that at some point." Takashi stated.

"All right then." Spiral said. "I wasn't planning on showing you this, but none of you seem to understand how serious this is getting."

Spiral got up and walked over to Naoto's bed. He pulled some sort of hard board off of Naoto's bed.

"What is that?" Azusa asked. "Some kind of board."

"It's Naoto's blanket." Spiral explained.

"Ew!" Chan exclaimed.

"Why is that gross?" Azusa asked.

Chan whispered something into Azusa's ear.

"EEEWW!" Azusa yelled.

"What did you say?" Lilith asked.

Chun then whispered the same thing to Lilith's ear.

"… Cool…" Lilith simply responded.

"It's getting so out of control that I wouldn't be surprised if the washing machine downstairs got pregnant." Spiral exaggerated.

"How is that even possible?" Shroud questioned.

"Are you aware of what a hyperbole is, Shroud?" Spiral asked.

"… Okay, I see your point." Shroud responded.

The door then opened and Naoto came in.

"Oh, hi, Naoto." Spiral greeted him.

"Hey..." Naoto said with a low-energy tone.

There was an awkward silence for a moment.

"... Naoto, we need to talk about what you've been doing in your private time." Spiral spoke up.

"What do you guys care?" Naoto asked. "It's not any of your business what I choose to do in my spare time."

"Naoto, we just want to know if you're okay." Spiral stated.

"Okay?" Naoto asked somewhat angrily. "How would you feel if we traded lives? I would be the one grabbing the girls' attention while you would just remain alone FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!"

"... Is THAT what this has been about?" Spiral asked.

"You'll never understand how I feel! NONE of you!" Naoto said angrily. "You don't know what it's like to think you've fallen in love with someone and in the end were attached to someone else. That girl back in middle school... Ms. Krystal... they were paired up with people and I was left sad and alone. You have at least four girls after you, Spiral! I have none! Just tell me how the fuck is that fair? !"

"You have FOUR girls wanting you?" Takashi asked. "Dude, you gotta teach me how to do that."

"I don't do it on purpose!" Spiral explained.

"And THAT'S why I'm so angry at you!" Nato yelled. "You don't even need to try to get a girl's attention to get it! They're just drawn to you! I just-I just... It just PISSES ME OFF!"

Naoto slammed his fist against the table, causing a can of soda to be catapulted into the air, flying right over Spiral's head and spilled some of the pop all over Spiral. Everyone just remained silent, unable to respond.

"... I'm going out." Naoto said as he left the room.

Everyone remained silent for several moments.

"... Did he have to act like such a dick?" Takashi asked.

* * *

After Spiral had taken a bath to wash away the stickiness and changed his clothes, he went to Ms. Krystal's office. Ms. Krystal was wearing a white T-shirt with a black Assassin's insignia on the stomach and red jeans.

"Hey, Ms. Krystal, can I ask you something?" Spiral asked.

"Go right ahead." Ms. Krystal answered.

"It's just..." Spiral tried to find the right words. "You see, Naoto has been feeling a bit jealous lately... because he can't seem to get a girl's attention."

"You know, I had a friend who felt pretty much the same." Ms. Krystal told him. "The girls were always swooning over his friend. But eventually, he found love and right now he's happily married and even has a daughter. People always say 'there's someone for everybody'. Why not tell him that?"

"I'll try that, thanks." Spiral responded.

* * *

"That doesn't help." Naoto said.

Spiral managed to find Naoto in one of the school hallways.

"... Look, I'm sorry I flipped out on you, Spiral." Naoto apologized. "And I'm sorry for what I just said. I was mad and jealous of you for something that you had no control over. It's just that... my luck with women has been... well, less than 0. You could never understand how I feel."

"Naoto, I want to help you." Spiral said.

"... That's all you ever want, Spiral." Naoto chuckled a bit. "That's all you ever care about."

"Tomorrow, I'm going to take you out and find you a girlfriend, even if it kills me." Spiral said. "I don't care how long it takes or where I have to go, by the time we're done, you'll be known as the first person in our group to actually be dating someone."

"... Thanks, Spiral." Naoto responded. "That's what makes you such a great guy. I can see why the girls always fawn over you."

* * *

In an undisclosed location in a strange room, two men wearing white cloaks kneeled before a white door.

"Grandmaster, our agents at Tokyo University have done some digging and have found something interesting on a secret project their brightest minds seem to be working on." One of the men stated.

"We believe that it might assist us in the search for the girl." The other guy said. "Their friends are heading downtown tomorrow in search of a female companion for one of them."

...

"Pardon me for questioning your plans, Grandmaster, but are you sure that's a good idea?" The first guy asked.

"I am, it's going to be the first mission-" The other guy was about to say.

...

"Understood." The first guy nodded.

"We'll relay the information immediately." The other guy stated.

"Have a good evening, Grandmaster." They both bowed, stood up and walked away.

* * *

The next day, Spiral and Naoto arrived at one of the many shopping districts in downtown Tokyo, which was bustling with many people. Not surprising since it was a Sunday.

"All right, Naoto." Spiral said. "See all of these people? There has to be at least one girl in here who'll take an interest in you."

"You know what's the one thing I can't believe about this?" Naoto asked.

"What's that?" Spiral asked.

"That Takashi actually followed us all the way here." Naoto answered.

Takashi then walked up behind them.

"I bet he's here to pick up women." Spiral guessed.

"Hey, at least I'm being a good friend by letting Naoto take first crack at the girls." Takashi said.

"Takashi, you do realize we didn't come here for YOU to hook up." Spiral stated.

"That statement just gave me a brilliant idea!" Takashi exclaimed. "How about we make this a contest? All we need is one number and the one who nabs the best girl wins! We'll meet back here in five hours!"

"Are you insane? !" Spiral asked. "That's completely degrading to women!"

"What are you, chicken?" Takashi taunted. "Is the ladies man wussing out of a challenge? Bawk! Ba-ba-bawk bawk-bawk!"

"... Oh, it's on, bitch! And will you stop that clucking!" Spiral shouted.

"Um, guys, I thought-" Naoto was about to say.

"Let the challenge commence!" Takashi proclaimed.

Both Takashi and Spiral went in different directions, leaving Naoto alone.

"Guess I'll have to go at this alone." Naoto sighed in exasperation.

* * *

After a bit of looking around and asking girls out, Naoto was taking a break, sitting on a bench by the fountain.

*Man... it's already been three hours and I still haven't picked up a girl.* Naoto thought. *Why am I thinking about the time? ! I'm not doing this for their stupid contest! ... There has to be at least one girl in this city for me. One is all I ask for.*

"Excuse me? You're from Tokyo University, aren't you?" A soft, feminine voice asked.

Naoto turned his head to see a beautiful, cute young girl with long, billowy pink hair and shimmering dark brown eyes wearing Tokyo University's uniform.

"Uh, yeah." Naoto stuttered a bit. "How'd you know I was a student there?"

"I could tell by you're uniform." She answered. "I'm going to be a student there."

"But the school year just started." Naoto stated. "Are you a transfer student?"

"Yes, I am." She answered. "Starting this week, I'm going to be attending Tokyo University as a second year."

"What luck. I happen to be a second year myself." Naoto said.

"I hope I end up in your class." She said. "You seem nice. Oh, I'm sorry. I completely forgot to ask you for your name."

"Naoto." Naoto introduced himself. "What's yours?"

"I'm _Kokoro Akira _(Age 15)." Kokoro responded. "I'm feeling a little bit hungry. Do you know of any places to eat? I can pay for my own food if you'd like."

"That sounds lovely." Naoto responded.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spiral was walking down one of the bustling city streets, holding a slip of paper in his hands.

"Heheh! This'll show Takashi up for sure!" Spiral snickered. "And it was an older woman, too. Man, I can't wait to see the look on his-"

Spiral noticed something in the crowd. It was a woman with short rich-red hair wearing some sort of royal-looking red shirt with gold lines at the top of the sleeves, and white pants. She started to walk away and Spiral began to chase after her.

"Wait!" Spiral called out.

Spiral tried to catch up to her, but there were so many people that he was starting to lose sight of her. Eventually, she was no longer in his sights and Spiral had given up the chase.

"Was that..." Spiral mumbled. "But it's been 8 years..."

Spiral was lost in thought, but then decided to just leave it alone for now.

* * *

Naoto and Kokoro sat at a booth in a restaurant, their food already on their table and started eating.

"Mind if I ask you something?" Kokoro asked.

"Sure, go ahead." Naoto replied.

"What were you doing out here today?" Kokoro asked. "Not that it's any of my business, I'm just curious."

"Well, it's kind of embarrassing to tell someone you just met." Naoto responded.

"Were you looking for black market porn?" Kokoro asked.

The question made Naoto choke a bit on some food he was eating and he pounded his chest to try to get it out.

"What made you think that?" Naoto questioned.

"You said it was embarrassing, so I took a wild guess." Kokoro told him.

"No, nothing like that." Naoto stated. "I... My friend was taking me out here to find me a girlfriend."

"You were just picking up women?"

"Not exactly. Any shmuck can get a one-night stand. I want someone who I can imagine spending the rest of my life with. I know I sound kind of young for that, but it's the truth."

"Well, I can't imagine why women wouldn't be interested in you. You seem like a nice guy. And that friend of yours sounds nice, too."

"Well, he got tricked into doing a contest with another of my friends."

"What kind of contest?"

"... Something stupid."

"You mean like that one American show where the guys do stupid stunts like ride a shopping cart off a roof?"

"No... he... went... to pick up women... I'm not a part of it! You have to believe me! I'm terrible with women!"

"Hehe, don't worry, I believe you. Why do you think you're bad with women?"

"I just... have had some bad luck with them all my life is all. You think you've fallen in love with someone and they end up not being interested."

"... You want to know something? I used to have bad luck with boys, too."

"Really?" Naoto asked as he saw how beautiful Kokoro was. She was pretty much every man's vision of an ideal Japanese woman. "You don't look like that kind of girl."

"Not now, I don't" Kokoro told him. "I didn't always look like this. Actually, I got picked on a lot when I was a kid. It was a time that I'd rather leave forgotten..."

Naoto remained silent for a moment. "Hey, do you have your Deck with you?"

"Um, yes." Kokoro answered.

"How about you and I have a Duel to get your mind off of it?" Naoto asked. "If you're going to Tokyo U, I want to see what kind of Deck you've got."

"... Very well then." Kokoro said. "I accept your challenge."

* * *

Naoto and Kokoro went back to the fountain where they met and took opposing sides next to the fountain. Naoto had prepared his dark blue and green Duel Disk and Duel Gazer while Kokoro readied her pink Duel Disk and Duel Gazer.

"You ready?" Naoto asked.

"I am." Kokoro confirmed.

"Let's Duel!" They both shouted as the augmented reality activated.

**Naoto (LP 4000) Kokoro (LP 4000)**

"Ladies first!" Kokoro said as she drew her first card. "I summon Knight of Heartfilia (Lv.4 1900/1800) in attack mode!"

A woman wearing knight armor with a heart-shaped ruby embedded in the center of the breastplate appeared on the field.

"Then I'll place one card face-down and end my turn!" Kokoro concluded.

"My turn!" Naoto said as he drew his first card. "I summon Aerial Combatant Garu (Lv.4 1800/1550)!"

A warrior wearing green light armor equipped with a jetpack and carrying laser guns appeared on the field.

"And when he's Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Wind monster from my hand!" Naoto pointed out. "I'm going to summon Aerial Combatant Jet (Lv.4 1900/1050)!" Naoto summoned a warrior in red armor with a jetpack and twin knives. "Now I overlay my Level 4 Garu and Jet to Xyz Summon Aerial Combatant Sky (Rank 4 2600/1900)!"

Naoto had Xyz Summoned another warrior in light armor with a jetpack, but this one had armor colored azure blue and was carrying swords.

"Each turn, Sky can destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards!" Naoto stated.

Sky threw one of its swords at Kokoro's face-down card and destroyed it.

"Next, I remove one of his Xyz Materials to Special Summon a Wind monster from my hand or Deck!" Naoto said. "I'm going to summon another Aerial Combatant Garu from my Deck! And since I detached Jet after he was used as Xyz Material, I can return him to my Deck! Sky, attack her knight!"

Sky flew into the sky and threw one of his swords at Knight of Heartfilia, destroying her and inflicting Kokoro with 700 points of damage.

**Naoto (LP 4000) Kokoro (LP 3300)**

"I end my turn by placing one card face-down!" Naoto finished.

Kokoro drew her next card. "Since I don't have any monsters on my field while you do, I can Special Summon Fairy of Heartfilia (Lv.5 2000/1600) from my hand!"

A fairy wearing a pink dress with a heart symbol on the center of the chest area appeared on the field.

"Then I activate the Spell Card Heart's Return!" Kokoro said. "This allows me to bring back a Level 4 or lower Heartfilia monster from my Graveyard! Come back, Knight of Heartfilia! I should mention that Knight of Heartfilia gains 200 attack points for each Heartfilia monster other than herself is on the field! Now I Normal Summon Magical Girl of Heartfilia (Lv.2 1000/700)!"

A little girl wearing an adorable dress holding a staff appeared on the field.

"When Magical Girl is summoned while I control another Heartfilia monster, she can increase one monster's Level by 1!" Kokoro said. "She's going to increase the Level of my Knight from 4 to 5! Now I overlay my Level 5 Knight and Fairy to Xyz Summon Princess Heartfilia (Rank 5 2500/1800)!"

A majestic and beautiful princess wearing a lovely royal dress with a heart symbol emblazoned around the chest area appeared on the field.

"Now I use her special ability!" Kokoro said. "Each turn, I can remove on of her Xyz Materials to take control of one of your monsters!"

Princess of Heartfilia made a cute face that forced Sky to switch sides of the field.

"Also, since I used Knight of Heartfilia to Xyz Summon, I can destroy one Set Spell or Trap Card on the field!" Kokoro explained.

The spirit of Knight of Heartfilia pulled out her sword and slashed Naoto's face-down card, which was a Trap Card called Chaos Typhoon.

"Chaos Typhoon, huh?" Kokoro said. "If I attacked while there was a Wind monster on the field, all of our monsters would have been destroyed and we would have each taken damage equal to the total attack of our respective monsters. Then all of my Life Points would have been gone. Not a bad card to have."

"Yeah, but you thought ahead." Naoto said. "Quite clever."

"Thanks." Kokoro smiled. "My Princess and your Sky will now attack you directly."

Both of the monsters attacked Naoto, their combined attack reducing Naoto's Life Points to 0.

**Naoto (LP 0) Kokoro (LP 3300)**

"That was a good Duel." Kokoro said as she removed her Duel Gazer and walked up to Naoto.

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't have been so reckless in bringing out my best monster right out of the gate." Naoto said. "Now I know to be more cautious."

"I'm glad you learned something." Kokoro said.

The two looked at each other for a moment.

"Oh, here. In case you want to talk later." Kokoro spoke up as she pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from her pocket and started writing something down on it, then handed the slip of paper to Naoto.

"What is it?" Naoto asked.

"Open it and found out." Kokoro responded. "I have to get going. See you later."

Kokoro then left, leaving Naoto somewhat in the dark. Naoto opened the piece of paper she handed him.

"... Wait... is this... a phone number?" Naoto asked himself. "Did I... did I just get... YES!"

Naoto jumped up for joy, which caused people to stare at him like he was a crazy person. When Naoto noticed the people watching, he quickly regained his composure and walked away.

* * *

Naoto met back up with where Spiral and Takashi left him and found both guys standing around.

"Hey, there he is." Spiral reacted as he noticed Naoto.

"I'm not a part of your contest!" Naoto pointed out. "In case you forgot, the whole reason I came here was so I could get a girlfriend."

"Sorry, about that." Spiral apologized. "But man, Takashi is SOO going to lose!"

"I don't think so." Takashi responded. "For you see, I, too, have a phone number."

"Wait, really?" Naoto was surprised. "What'd the girl say?"

"I don't know." Takashi answered. "Something about costing so much an hour. What was she talking about?"

"Are you really THAT dense?" Naoto questioned.

"Still, I'm pretty sure she was better than anyone Spiral could have picked up." Takashi said.

"Oh, is she?" Spiral held out a slip of paper.

"What kind of girl was she?" Takashi asked. "You should call her up. Please? ... Pretty please? PLEASE? !"

"How many times are you going to beg?" Naoto asked. "You're going to call her, right? ... Right?"

The peer pressure made Spiral call the number he was given. Someone almost immediately picked up.

"She picked up!" Naoto quietly exclaimed.

"Spiral's the man..." Takashi muttered.

_"Uh, hello?"_ A man's voice came from the phone.

Spiral felt a sweat drop from his head. "Uh... hello?"

_"Oh, I get it... It's you, huh? You rat bastard! You're dead, shitbird!"_

All three guys had shocked and terrified faces on them.

_"How dare you hit on my girl? ! I'll rip off your head and spit down your neck! You better not call again, GOT IT? !"_

Spiral instantly ended the call.

"I could hear him from here..." Naoto said in a slightly scared voice.

"Was he serious?" Takashi asked.

"I don't know." Spiral responded. "He did say he would desecrate my corpse if I went near him or his girlfriend again... So I'm guessing no."

"Oh, good." Takashi sighed.

"I was being sarcastic." Spiral pointed out. "Anyway, did you have any luck Naoto?"

"Actually, yes I did." Naoto answered.

"Really?" Takashi questioned.

"See? Ms. Krystal was right." Spiral stated. "You just needed to look in the right place."

"Are you going to call her?" Takashi asked.

"Of course I'm going to call her." Naoto told him.

"... Right now?" Takashi asked.

"I told you I don't want any part of your game!" Naoto stated.

"How does she look?" Takashi asked again.

"Well, let's put it this way. If goddesses walked among us, she's what they'd look like." Naoto answered. "She was really nice, too."

"Wow, I didn't think you had it in you." Takashi reacted.

"Why do I feel like that was an insult?" Naoto questioned.

"Um, guys, how about we keep this contest thing just between us?" Spiral requested. "I'd hate to imagine what would happen if Momo, Aura and Hikari caught wind of this."

Something from the crowd then wrapped its arms around Spiral by the neck and dragged him into the crowd.

"Oh, h-hey, girls." Spiral's voice trembled from the crowd. "How've you been? Guess what? Naoto got a-Wait what are you doing? Stop! STOP! STOOOP! NO-OO-OO-OO!"

Spiral's screams of terror reverberated through the city, but no one seemed to do anything about it. Naoto and Takashi just stood there and listened to Spiral's screams of agony.

"... So, did I mention she's going to be a transfer student at our school?" Naoto casually asked.

"Really? Oh, man! I can't wait to see her!" Takashi responded.

"GUYS, HEEELP!" Spiral shouted.

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Johnny Yong Bosch **Takashi**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Alison Viktorin **Chan/Chun**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Wendee Lee **Krystal**

* * *

**Preview**

**Naoto:** I can't believe that it's finally happened to me!

**Shroud:** If I may interject, Eve and I have even bigger news!

**Takashi:** What would that be?

**Eve:** Our latest invention is fully complete and will be ready to use during the next chapter!

**Chan:** Why not tell us now?

**Shroud:** We don't want to spoil the readers, do we? It's best they be left in the dark for now.

**Eve:** Next time on Aracana of Fate! The Latest Invention! Hey, where's Spiral?

**Takashi:** The girls are busy doing God-knows-what to him.

**Azusa:** Why?

**Takashi:** Eh... Nothing important.

* * *

**Naoto's Cards**

Aerial Combatant Garu

Warrior/Effect (ATK 1800 DEF 1550)

Level 4/WIND

When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower WIND monster from your hand.

Aerial Combatant Jet

Warrior/Effect (ATK 1900 DEF 1050)

Level 4/WIND

When this card is used as a Xyz Material Monster, detached and sent to the Graveyard: You can return this card to your Deck.

Chaos Typhoon

Trap

When your opponent declares an attack while there is a face-up WIND monster on the field: Destroy all monsters on the field, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the total ATK of all monsters they controlled and the controller of this card equal to the total ATK of all monsters he/she controlled.

Aerial Combatant Sky

Warrior/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2600 DEF 1900)

Rank 4/WIND

2 Level 4 WIND Monsters

Once per turn; you can destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card: Special Summon 1 WIND monster from your hand or Deck.

**Kokoro's Cards**

Knight of Heartfilia

Warrior/Effect (ATK 1900 DEF 1800)

Level 4/LIGHT

This card gains 200 ATK for each face-up "Heartfilia" monster you control other than this card. When this card is used as a Xyz Material Monster: You can destroy 1 Set Spell/Trap Card on your opponent's side of the field.

Fairy of Heartfilia

Fairy/Effect (ATK 2000 DEF 1600)

Level 5/LIGHT

If you control no monsters and your opponent controls a monster: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.

Heart's Return

Spell

Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Heartfilia" monster from your Graveyard.

Magical Girl of Heartfilia

Spellcaster/Effect (ATK 1000 DEF 700)

Level 2/LIGHT

When this card is summoned while you control another face-up "Heartfilia" monster: You can increase the Level of one monster you control by 1.

Princess Heartfilia

Fairy/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2500 DEF 1800)

Rank 5/LIGHT

2 Level 5 LIGHT Monsters

Once per turn; You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to switch control of one monster on your opponent's side of the field.


	4. Chapter 4: The Latest Invention

**The next chapter is up! I would like to thank lordsoftheRoses for collaborating with me on this chapter and most of the characters here belong to him. With that copyright notice out of the way, please enjoy and review.**

* * *

*Tokyo University Duel Academy, Classroom 2-2*

Homeroom had just started and everyone had taken their seats. Ms. Krystal was in front of her podium, dressed in, and Kokoro was standing in the front of the class.

"Class, today we have a new transfer student." Ms. Krystal announced to the class. "Would you be so kind as to introduce yourself?"

"I am Kokoro Akira." Kokoro greeted as she bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

The students started to gossip.

"Wow, she is gorgeous." A male student whispered.

"Her boobs are HUGE!" A female student whispered.

"I'd hit that." Another male student whispered.

"Now, where to sit?" Ms. Krystal mumbled as she looked around the room. "How about that empty seat in the middle of the room by the doors?"

"Um, Ms. Krystal, that kid is playing hooky today." A male student stated.

"Well, since he's not here, his seat is fair game." Ms. Krystal said.

Kokoro took her seat in the spot mentioned. Then a male student tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey, you wanna go out sometime?" The guy asked in a whisper.

"Thanks, but I already have a boyfriend." Kokoro responded, then looked at Naoto.

"Now, class-" Ms. Krystal started her lecture.

Spiral was intently taking notes when a paper airplane flew right into his left eye.

"AAAHH!" Spiral screamed in pain and stood up.

All of the students looked at Spiral.

"... Yes! That's how Theodore Roosevelt lost his left eye in that White House boxing match!" Ms. Krystal said.

Spiral sat back down in his seat, his left eye closed and tearing up, and unfolded the paper airplane thrown at him. The note said as follow:

_Meet us in the school's storage basement after classes. It'll totally blow your mind._

_Signed,_

_Eve and Shroud_

Spiral looked toward Eve and Shroud and saw that Eve was looking back, holding her hands up and making what looked like a peace sign with her fingers.

* * *

After class, Spiral, Naoto, Momo, Aura, Hikari, Asuka, Chan, Chun, Lilith, Azusa, Takashi and Kokoro were all walking down a long staircase, which lead deep inside the school's basement.

"I wonder what was so important that they couldn't wait to tell us." Momo said.

"Knowing them, it's probably something we won't be able to understand." Takashi said.

"I hope they didn't make a giant killer robot, like the kind they made last time." Azusa expressed.

"Those robots didn't even go as high as our knees." Naoto pointed out. "But I agree and hope it's not a killer robot."

"If it's a sentient one, we're probably all screwed." Chan said.

They finally reached a door that said 'Storage' and Spiral opened it. They all entered and saw Shroud and Eve standing in front of something covered in tarp.

"Good, you're all here. Wait, what is that girl doing here?" Shroud asked.

"Uh, it's a long story I'm sure you are the only one who doesn't care to know." Spiral answered.

"What is it you wanted to show us?" Aura asked.

"You know that project we started working on together?" Eve reminded. "Well, we've finally finished it!"

"Really?" Chun reacted. "That was fast!"

"When two geniuses work together, anything is possible." Shroud said as he grabbed the tarp. "We now present to you, the first-ever..."

Shroud and Eve both pulled on opposite sides of the tarp and revealed a machine that looked like a metallic gate of some sort.

"Time machine!" Eve finished.

"Curse you, Eve, that was MY line!" Shroud argued. "But not only does this device let you move through time, but space as well. I mean, if you traveled back 100 years ago from this, you'd be trapped in the ground, so we made it go through space, too."

"Does it work yet?" Asuka asked.

"'Does it work yet' you say." Eve chuckled. "We wouldn't show you otherwise. And we've tested it. Watch."

Shroud presses a few buttons on a console attached to the machine and a rainbow light emanated from the gate. Shroud walked up to it and another Shroud came out of the gate.

"How's it going?" The new Shroud asked.

"Not much." Shroud answered.

Shroud then entered the gate.

"See, I traveled back 2.52387149 seconds." Shroud said.

Everyone in the room clapped.

"Wow, that was impressive." Lilith complimented.

"You guys could make a lot of money off this thing." Takashi stated.

"We don't care about money." Eve said. "It's good, but we want something else."

"GLORY!" Shroud shouted. "Now, would anyone like to visit a particular time period?"

"Ooh, I want to go first!" Spiral said as he walked up to the machine.

"What time and place do you want to go to?" Shroud asked.

"Surprise me." Spiral responded.

"All right, I have one in mind." Eve said as she toyed around with the console. "All right, you ready?"

"Ready!"

Eve turned the machine on and Spiral walked through the gate. Everyone was silent for several moments.

"... So, how are you going to get him back?" Hikari asked.

"... Oh, I knew I forgot something!" Shroud shouted.

"WHAT? !" Everyone else shouted.

* * *

The dizziness and neasua was too much to handle as Spiral went down to his knees and held onto his stomach.

"Very funny, Shroud." Spiral groaned. "Let's just not do this again... Shroud? Uh oh."

When the dizziness subsided, he looks around and realizes in front of a huge mansion. It had a simple, imperial French design to it with a massive yard, filled with all sorts of trees, causeways and fountains.

"Geez, somebody's compensating for something." Spiral muttered. "I need to know how to get back to Tokyo U."

Spiral walked around the large house until he reached the backyard area, which was just as big as the backyard. When he got back there, he saw a beautiful flower garden at the center of a party area being set up. There were all sorts of beautiful decorations and such. It didn't seem like a birthday party, but Spiral didn't pay much mind to it. Spiral noticed that a butler had noticed him and walked over.

"Pardon monsieur, avez-vous une appel d'offre?" The butter asked.

"... Excuse me?" Spiral asked.

"Ugh, I asked 'do you have an invitation'?" The butler asked in a clear French accent.

"Oh, no, actually I'm lost." Spiral responded. "I need to know how to get back to Tokyo U from here."

"Tokyo?" The butler asked. "Are you all right there, son? You do know you're in Orleans, right?"

"I'm sorry, where?" Spiral asked.

"Orleans, France." The butler said.

"France? How the hell did I get all the way to France?" Spiral wondered.

Before the butler could answer, a woman called for him.

"Pardon me, monsieur." The butler bowed before leaving.

"Hey, wait!" Spiral shouted. "Ah, son of a bitch!"

Spiral continued to look around and noticed the white flowers, white balloons and white cake. The party appeared to be a wedding and Spiral figured he could get a free meal out of it.

"Vince Vaughn, eat your heart out." Spiral muttered.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Spiral turned his head and he saw a chase going on. He saw a young man, dressed in neon purple, black leather jackets, tacky-looking sunglasses and his hair gelled up being chased by another young man wearing red with jeans and a pair of Red Star electronic headphones around his neck. The headphone kid tackled the weird-looking guy to the ground.

"YOU GOT SOME FUCKING NERVE LEAVING ME WITH THE BILL FOR YOUR STUPID DJ SERVICES!" The headphone kid yelled.

"Yo yo yo yo, bro!" The other guy panicked. "Miss Clairoux said it was all right to clear with you!"

"MY SISTER'S NOT THE ONE GETTING MARRIED! HER'S IS!" The headphone kid pointed out.

The kid then bashed the weird guy's head into the ground and got off of him.

"Arrogant asshole." The headphone kid said. "Ali's got some to-" He then looks up and sees Spiral. "What the hell are you looking at?"

"Da, n-nothing! Nothing at all!" Spiral stuttered.

"I thought so." He said.

"COOLIIN!"

A girl shorter than Ms Krystal tan up to the guy with the headphones. In fact, she looked exactly like Ms Krystal, just as hot too.

"Colin, Rita's looking for you." She said to the headphone kid.

"Of course she is." The guy known as Colin said. "Why do you think I'm over here?"

"Oooh, you're in troooubleee." The Krystal look-alike said.

"Ms. Krystal?" Spiral asked.

Both of them looked over at Spiral.

"Ms. Krystal, is that you?" Spiral asked.

"My name IS Krystal." She said with caution. "Do I know you?"

Spiral thought for a minute and wondered how to answer that. Would he affect the future if he said anything? Because now he realized he was in the past. The question is 'How far?'.

"I'm sorry, what year is it?" Spiral asked.

The answer that was given indicated that Spiral went back in time 6 years.

"Holy crap, I need to sit down." Spiral said.

Krystal was kind enough to get a chair for him and sit down.

"Um, I know you're probably about to throw up, but why did you call me Ms. Krystal?" Krystal asked.

"Uh... whenever I meet a girl I've never met before, I try to show my respect by calling them 'Ms'." Spiral made up an excuse. "Especially the pretty ones."

"Oh, that's so cute." Krystal said. "Complete bullshit, but still really cute."

"Yeah, cute, whatever." Colin rudely said. "Look, unless you got business here, you got to go."

"Colin, you're so mean." Krystal told him.

"Krystal, we don't know anything about this guy." Colin said. "For all we know, he could be an Umbra."

"Look at this cute face!" Krystal said. "How can someone this adorable be an Umbra?"

*Oh, Naoto's going to SOOO jealous." Spiral thought.

"You stay as long as you need to and feel free to eat some of the cake." Krystal said.

"Okay." Spiral said.

Krystal smiled and walked away. Spiral got up from the chair and he immediately had two fingers near his eyes.

"I'm watching you, boy." Colin told him.

Colin then walked away.

"Oh my God, Shroud, I hope you're working on a way to get me back." Spiral mumbled.

* * *

Spiral continued to look around the party area when he found an older guy, in his mid-20s, by himself starting to light a cigarette, but couldn't find a lighter anywhere.

"Ah, damn! Kid, you got a light?" The guy asked Spiral.

"Sorry, I don't smoke." Spiral answered.

"Ah, go figure." The guy said. "So, you're not from around here, are ya?"

"Yeah, you could say that." Spiral responded.

"Well, where are ya from?" He asked.

"Well, you probably won't believe this, but I come from the future." Spiral said.

"Oh really? When in the future?" The man asked.

"About 6 yea-Wait, you actually believe that? !" Spiral questioned.

"Ah, you don't look like a liar." The man stated. "Besides, me and my friends here have seen a lot stranger things. You see the bride-to-be over there?"

The man pointed to a girl with short strawberry blonde hair talking to another girl with long strawberry blonde hair.

"We brought her back from the dead." The man said.

This reminded Spiral of a painful memory of his adopted younger sister Etsuko, who was killed during the events of the prior year. Hearing what this man just said gave Spiral some hope.

"How did you manage to do that?" Spiral asked.

"Honestly, I wish I knew." The man responded. "From what Ali told me, they had to battle at the right place, at the right time, with the right god and the right powers that be decided fate."

"Oh..." Spiral looked down a bit.

The man then sees Spiral sulking a bit.

"Oh, sorry man, I didn't mean to say anything that hurt ya or anything." The man told him. "Look, my name's Ryan Edge. What's yours?"

"Spiral."

"Well, Spiral, I'm sure if you stick with us long enough, you'll find yourself back in the future." Ryan assured him. "It's kind of what we do."

"You make it sound so casual." Spiral stated.

"Kid, we killed gods." Ryan said. "Helping a kid get back to the future IS casual for us."

"You killed what? Gods? Who are you people? !" Spiral asked.

"Heh." Ryan smirked and showed him his wrist, which had a dark blue rose tattoo on it.

"We're Guardians of the Roses, kid." Ryan said. "All ten of us."

"Ryan, what were you talking to this guy about?"

Another young guy approached the two of them. He looked like he had an attitude.

"Oh, I'm just giving away all of our deep, dark secrets." Ryan told the guy.

"Ryan, you can't tell this guy anything." The guy told him. "We can't trust him."

"Oh come on, Krystal doesn't have a problem with him, so why should we?" Ryan questioned.

"Yeah, and Krystal likes to bring home stray falcons that like to claw at my face!" The guy retorted.

"The guy's from the future, nothing to worry about." Ryan said.

"The future? I don't want this guy to reveal if I die tomorrow, Ryan!" The guy argued.

"Hey, I don't want to cause any trouble." Spiral said. "I'm just going to walk away and not bother you guys anymore."

Spiral then walked away, leaving those two to argue.

* * *

Spiral made his way into the mansion. He noticed a door was open to one of the rooms. He peeked inside and saw Krystal helping the girl with the long strawberry blonde hair fit into her bride's maid outfit.

"Okay, Ali." Krystal said. "You got some pretty good boobs, but we need them to appear a little bigger. I mean, your sister's the one getting married, but you shouldn't be ashamed to draw some attention to yourself."

"Krystal, I really don't think-" The girl named Ali was about to say.

BOING!

Krystal pushed the Ali's boobs up a little.

"We just need to perk them up a little bit." Krystal said.

*Holy crap!" Spiral thought.

Krystal then stood next to Ali and looked in the mirror to compare their breast sizes.

"Yeah, yeah, that's good." Krystal said. "By the time your sister takes her vows, a guy will be hitting on you and by the time the reception starts, you'll be jumping on him."

"Krystal, we need to find you a boyfriend so you can stop living your fantasies through others." Ali stated.

Ali then noticed the reflection in the mirror. She then picked up a flower vase, threw it behind her and the vase knocked Spiral in the head.

"AH, PRECIOUS SKULL!" Spiral shouted in pain.

Ali then rushed up to Spiral, hits him with her elbow and holds him against the wall, then picks up a piece of the shattered vase and holds it to his neck.

"Who the hell are you?" Ali asked.

Spiral was choking and he couldn't answer her.

"Ali, wait, don't hurt him! He's just a time traveller!" Krystal shouted. "And he's kind of cute. Don't ruin his face!"

"I don't care who he is. He doesn't belong here." Ali said. "And most importantly, he was trying to peek on us."

"I... didn't mean to... I swear!" Spiral strained to speak. "You're choking me!"

"Oh, come on, it's not as bad between what happened with you and Colin!" Krystal pointed out.

Ali dropped Spiral and turned to Krystal.

"I TOLD YOU THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" Ali yelled, blushing. "NOTHING HAPPENED! I SWEAR!"

"Tehe, you're such a naughty girl." Krystal chuckled mischievously. "Oh, if Rita ever found out, you'd have to pay for it."

While the girls argued, Spiral felt the blood drip down from his forehead. A wound has opened up when the vase knocked him in the head.

"Uh, excuse me, where's the bathroom?" Spiral asked.

* * *

Spiral found the bathroom, which looked like a fancy public restroom where there was fine carpeting, good lighting, an extra stall for extra privacy and even a sofa, and he was dabbing his forehead with some tissue, looking at himself in the mirror.

"These people are so crazy." Spiral muttered. "But I would like to know more about these Roses. They say they killed gods. Was that a metaphor or was he serious?"

"Hey, keep it down!" A female voice came form the stall. "I'm kind of in the middle of something!"

"Oh, I-I'm sorry!" Spiral apologized. "I didn't realize anyone was-"

"Just shut up!" The female interrupted.

There was a long, awkward silence and Spiral didn't move an inch.

"... Gah, dammit!" The girl said.

The girl exits the stall, revealing her short brown hair, red tunic and jeans. She had something in her right hand and she looked kind of conflicted.

"Um, Miss, is everything okay?" Spiral asked.

"Does this look like a plus or a minus to you?" The girl asked as she put the object near his face. That object was a pregnancy test.

"Don't put that thing so close to my face!" Spiral shouted.

"Plus or minus?" She demanded.

"It's a plus! It's a plus! All right?" Spiral panicked. "You're pregnant!"

The girl seemed to calm down and took the pregnancy test back.

"Yeah, I guess so." She said.

She threw the pregnancy test away and threw some paper towels away to hide it from anyone who came in.

"You tell ANYONE that I'm pregnant, I will cut your dick off! Got it?" She threatened.

"Yes, ma'am! Got it, ma'am! Of course, ma'am!" Spiral slightly whimpered.

The girl then left the bathroom, leaving Spiral scared stiff.

"... I feel bad for the guy who knocked her up." Spiral muttered.

* * *

Spiral then made his way out to the garden again to get some fresh air.

"You know, I don't care if they're god killers, I just want to go home." Spiral sighed.

"Hey Marty McFly!" Colin called after running over to him. "Ryan tells me you come from the future!

""Uh-yeah, I guess-" Spiral started.

"Perfect!"Colin said. " want to duel you!"

"Why?"Sprial asked.

"Critics say that the way I duel is out dated and every victory has been because of sheer luck!" Colin explained. "Freedom Cup champion, luck. World Championship Elite 8, luck! Defeating Team Iron Legend, PURE luck! Prove me wrong! Duel me!"

"Alright." Spiral said.

"Awesome!" Colin said.

Spiral and Colin took opposing sides in the area and readied their Duel Disks.

"Let's Duel!" They both shouted.

**Spiral (LP 4000) Colin (LP 4000)**

"I'll go first!" Colin said as he drew his first card. "I summon Robotic Knight (Lv.4 1600/1800) in defense mode! Then I'll place one card face-down and end my turn!"

Spiral then drew his first card. "I summon Legendary Guardian Force Breaker (Lv.4 1900/1100)!"

A completely armored humanoid with spikes on the fists of his armor appeared on the field.

"Force Breaker, attack Robotic Knight!" Spiral declared his attack.

Force Breaker attempted to hit Robotic Knight with his fist, but Robotic Knight vanished before the attack could connect.

"I just activated the Trap Interdimensional Matter Transporter!" Colin stated. "This removes a monster on my field from play until the End Phase!"

"Fine, since I have a non-Tuner Legend-type card on the field, I can Special Summon the Tuner Legendary Guardian Flame Lancer (Lv.3 1200/700) from my hand!" Spiral said. "I end my turn!"

"I've never heard of a Legend-type monster." Colin said. "Is it a new type they make in the future like they did with Psychics?"

"Actually, it's a type exclusive to this archetype." Spiral answered. "Anyway, it's your move."

Colin then drew his next card and Robotic Knight came back to the field. "Since I control Robotic Knight, I can Special Summon the Tuner monster Robotic Engineer (Lv.4 1200/1500) from my hand!"

A machine similar to Robotic Knight, only it had a drill for a right hand appeared on the field.

"Now I tune Robotic Engineer with Robotic Knight to Synchro Summon Dragonic Machine King (Lv.8 3500/2700)!" Colin said.

Out of the Synchro light appeared a giant, mechanical dragon with a similar color scheme to Perfect Machine King.

"Attack Flame Lancer now!" Colin declared.

But Dragonic Machine King did not attack.

"My Guardians both have the ability to prevent other monsters from being selected as attack targets." Spiral explained. "They protect each other, so you can't attack."

"I place one more card face-down and end my turn!" Colin finished.

Spiral drew his next card. "First, I summon Legendary Guardian Setsuka (Lv.4 1700/1600)!"

On Spiral's field appeared a female samurai without a helmet, revealing her beautiful dark hair, and clad in red samurai armor.

"When she's summoned while I control another Legend-type card, I can destroy one card on the field!" Spiral stated.

Setsuka slightly removed her sword from its sheathe, vanished and reappeared behind Dragonic Machine King sheathing the sword. Dragonic Machine King fell to pieces as it was destroyed.

"Now I overlay my Level 4 Setsuka and Force Breaker to Xyz Summon Legendary Guardian Twilight Angel (Rank 4 2500/1900)!" Spiral said.

An angel holding a spear with the right half of her body having blonde hair and a white wing and the right half having black hair and a purple wing appeared on the field.

"Next, I remove one of her Xyz Materials to activate one of her effects!" Spiral said. "That is to destroy one card you control, like your face-down!" Spiral said as Twilight Angel threw her spear at Colin's face-down Mirror Force and destroyed it. "Twilight Angel and Flame Lancer, attack him directly!"

Both of Spiral's monsters attacked Colin, inflicting him with a total of 3700 points of damage.

**Spiral (LP 4000) Colin (LP 300)**

"I end my turn!" Spiral said.

Colin then drew his next card and smirked. "I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Dragonic Machine King! Then I summon the Tuner monster Robotic Soldier (Lv.4 1900/1400)!" A machine that looked similar to Robotic Knight only carrying a gun appeared on the field. "Then I use his ability! By sacrificing his attack this turn, he can inflict you with 300 damage for each Machine monster I have! Since I have 2, you take 600 points of damage!"

Robotic Soldier pulled out a pistol and shot two bullets at Spiral, inflicting him with 600 points of damage.

**Spiral (LP 3400) Colin (LP 300)**

"Now I tune Robotic Soldier with Dragonic Machine King to summon the ultimate weapon of mass destruction!" Colin said. "I Synchro Summon Machine Overlord (Lv.12 4000/3800)!"

The earth quaked as the massive, bulky machine appeared behind Colin.

"Now I use his ability to remove a Machine monster from my Graveyard and grant him half of that Machine's attack points!" Colin said. "I remove Dragonic Machine King so Machine Overlord can gain 1750 attack points! Now I equip your Angel with Nitro Unit! Now when it's destroyed by me, you take damage equal to its attack points! Machine Overlord, attack with Atomic Crush!"

Machine Overlord delivered a devastating punch to Twilight Angel, which then caused an atomic explosion, partly because the attack was so powerful and also because Nitro Unit exploded.

**Spiral (LP 0) Colin (LP 300)**

There was smoke all over the place and Spiral and Colin couldn't see a thing. Just then a light appeared behind Spiral and then he felt something pull on him. When the smoke cleared, Colin could see that Spiral had vanished.

* * *

In a strange, rainbow-colored void, Spiral was completely confused. He looked around and noticed that there was a girl with him there. She was the same girl that the guys in white have been chasing for the last couple of weeks.

"Huh, who are-how did-" Spiral tried to find the right words to ask.

"I am a time traveler, here to bring you back to your own time." The girl told him.

Spiral was about to say something, but he kept seeing visions in the void. One of them depicted the same girl in front of him having some sort of conversation with Pulse.

"How do you know my mother?" Spiral asked. "Her name is Pulse and don't give me any bullshit! Just tell me how you know her!"

"I guess you could say I helped your mother a long time ago, I think it was when she was forced to lock the Demons back into Hell." The girl stated. "As I said, I am a time traveler. What may have been over a decade for your mother only happened to me a few weeks ago."

"Who are you?" Spiral asked.

"I told you." The girl responded. "I am a time traveler."

"No, I mean 'what's your name'?" Spiral asked.

"What if I told you?" The girl riddled. "What if I'm possibly your daughter from the future? Given how we both have purple hair, granted yours is pigment indigo, it's a possibility."

"Are you my daughter?" Spiral asked.

"No, I am not." She answered. "I simply came here because I noticed something had changed within the time stream. It is my duty to prevent anomalies in the time-space continuum."

"'Duty'? Are you working for someone?" Spiral inquired.

"...No..." She responded. "I alone tread this path and I have vowed to protect time at any cost."

"Back to my original question: What IS. YOUR. NAME?" Spiral asked again.

The girl continued to remain silent...

_(To be continued...)_

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Troy Baker **Colin**

Cassandra Lee **Mysterious Girl**

Wendee Lee **Krystal**

Travis Willingham **Ryan**

Ali Hillis **Ali**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Johnny Yong Bosch **Takashi**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Alison Viktorin **Chan/Chun**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

* * *

**Preview**

**Momo:** Oh, I hope Spiral manages to find his way home.

**Eve:** It should be okay. We didn't send him that far back. Actually, by the time he gets back, he'll be 21. I'd bet he'll have an awesome body from surviving the wilds to get back here. Um, Momo, are you okay?

**Momo:** Oh, I'm fine. Just... lost in thought... But Spiral has a wonderful personality, too!

**Eve:** When did THAT come up?

**Spiral:** Next time on Arcana of Fate! The Time Traveler!

**Momo:** Spiral! Is that you? Do you have that awesome bod and personality now?

**Eve:** What the hell are you talking about? Spiral's not here.

* * *

**Spiral's Cards**

Legendary Guardian Force Breaker

Legend/Effect (ATK 1900 DEF 1100)

Level 4/EARTH

As long as this card remains face-up on the field; your opponent cannot select another monster you control as an attack target. When this card destroys a monster as a result of battle: You can destroy 1 card on the field.

Legendary Guardian Setsuka

Legend/Effect (ATK 1700 DEF 1600)

Level 4/FIRE

As long as this card remains face-up on the field; your opponent cannot select another monster you control as an attack target. When this card is summoned while you control another Legend-type monster: you can destroy 1 card on the field.

Legendary Guardian Twilight Angel

Legend/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2500 DEF 1900)

Rank 4/LIGHT

2 Level 4 Monsters

As long as this card remains face-up on the field; monsters you control are unaffected by your opponent's card effects on the turn they are summoned. Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to activate one of the following effects: *Monsters on your side of the field cannot be destroyed as a result of battle until the End Phase. *Destroy 1 card your opponent controls. *Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster from your Graveyard.

**Colin's Cards**

Robotic Engineer

Machine/Tuner (ATK 1200 DEF 1500)

Level 4/FIRE

If there is a face-up "Robotic Knight" on your side of the field, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.

Dragonic Machine King

Machine/Synchro/Effect (ATK 3500 DEF 2700)

Level 8/WIND

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

This card gains 500 ATK for each Machine-type monster on the field other than this card. If "Jinzo" or "Spell Canceller" is face-up on your side of the field, your opponent cannot activate the effects of Monster Cards.

Robotic Soldier

Machine/Tuner (ATK 1900 DEF 1400)

Level 4/FIRE

Once per turn, you can inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of Machine-type monster on the field x300. If you activate this effect, this card cannot attack this turn.

Machine Overlord

Machine/Synchro/Effect (ATK 4000 DEF 3800)

Level 12/Earth

1 Machine-type tuner + 2 or More Machine-type non-tuner monsters OR 1 Machine-type tuner + "Dragonic Machine King"

This card gains 500 ATK for each Machine-type monster on the field. Once per turn, if a card effect is activated that negates the attack of this card, the effect is negated until the end of this card's attack. Once per turn you can remove 1 Machine-type Monster in your graveyard from play and increase the ATK of this monster by half of the attack of the monster Removed.


	5. Chapter 5: The Time Traveler

**I am fully aware that this chapter is only less than half the length as the previous ones, but it is very important to the overall story. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please review.**

* * *

Spiral was staring down the mysterious girl who brought him into the time stream.

"Just tell me your name." Spiral demanded.

The mysterious girl simply remained silent. "I only wish to bring you home. Why are you so obsessed with knowing my name?"

"… You just answered it." Spiral responded. "Whenever I help someone, I let them know who their savior is. People should know who their savior is, regardless of how quiet or egomaniacal they are."

"… Heh." She briefly chuckled. "You make a good point. Very well, I'll tell you the name my parents have given me. I am _Sophie_ (Age 12)."

Spiral then noticed her Duel Disk.

"Are you a Duelist?" Spiral asked.

"Huh… hm, indeed I am." Sophie answered. "Do you wish to challenge me? I'm warning you, you can't defeat me. No one has been able to defeat me."

"Well that'll change once I'm through." Spiral said.

"All right, you asked for it." Sophie said as she readied her Duel Disk.

Spiral then prepared his Duel Disk.

"Let's Duel!" They both shouted.

**Sophie (LP 4000) Spiral (LP 4000)**

"I'll go first!" Sophie said as she drew her first card. "I'll summon a monster face-down in defense mode! Then I'll place one card face-down and end my turn!"

Spiral then drew his next card. "I summon Legendary Guardian Wave Fighter (Lv.3 1400/800)! Now I activate her ability! Each turn, she can disable one of your cards! I'm going to shut down your face-down card!"

Wave Fighter shot a sound wave at Sophie's face-down card.

"Wave Fighter, attack her face-down monster!" Spiral declared his attack.

Wave Fighter shot another sound wave at Sophie's face-down monster, which was revealed as Spellbook Magician of Prophecy (Lv.2 500/400), and destroyed him.

"Since my Spellbook Magician was flipped face-up, I can add a Spellbook Spell Card from my Deck to my hand." Sophie pointed out as she added a card from her Deck to her hand and the Duel Disk auto-shuffled the Deck.

"I place one card face-down and end my turn!" Spiral said.

Sophie then drew her next card. "I reveal Spellbook of Eternity, Spellbook of Wisdom and Spellbook Star Hall in my hand to Special Summon High Priestess of Prophecy (Lv.7 2500/2100)! Now I banish the Spellbook of Wisdom in my hand to activate my High Priestess' other ability, which is to destroy one card on the field! I think your face-down card will do."

High Priestess of Prophecy opened up the book in her lap and a magical explosion blew up Spiral's face-down Waboku.

"Next, I activate the Continuous Spell Spellbook Star Hall!" Sophie continued. "Now when I activate a Spellbook Spell, it gains a Spell Counter! And for each Spell Counter, all of my Spellcasters gain 100 attack points! And I'm going to activate a Spellbook Spell right now! Spellbook of Eternity! This allows me to add a banished Spellbook back to my hand! So I'm bringing back my Spellbook of Wisdom! And that now adds a Spell Counter onto my Star Hall, granting my High Priestess with 100 more attack points! High Priestess, attack Wave Fighter! Also, since a Spellcaster is declaring an attack, I activate my face-down Trap Magician's Circle! This allows us both to summon a Spellcaster with 2000 or fewer attack points, but I've seen your Duels and you don't have any! However, I can summon Strength of Prophecy (Lv.4 1500/1400)! Now I use Strength's ability to return the Spellbook of Eternity in my Graveyard back into my Deck and increase the Level of any Spellcaster by 1 and its attack points by 500! That boost is going straight to Strength of Prophecy!"

High Priestess of Prophecy opened her magic book again and a magical explosion occurred where Wave Fighter was, destroying her and inflicting Spiral with 1200 points of damage.

**Sophie (LP 4000) Spiral (LP 2800)**

"Now Strength of Prophecy will attack you directly!" Sophie continued her assault.

Strength of Prophecy attacked Spiral and inflicted him with 2000 points of damage.

**Sophie (LP 4000) Spiral (LP 800)**

"I end my turn with one card face-down!" Sophie said.

Spiral drew his card, but something caught his eye.

"Wait… is that… my future?" Spiral asked.

What Spiral saw in the rainbow void was an illusion in which Spiral was embracing Aura.

"I wish you hadn't seen that." Sophie said as she closed her eyes. "And that is ONE possible future."

"What do you mea by-" Spiral was about to say when he saw another illusion in which he was standing next to Momo, who was hugging two children of the same size.

"Variables and constants." Sophie said. "Every eventuality and possibility exists. Those are the keys to understand the theories of time travel and the multiverse theory in general."

Spiral then saw another illusion, this time it was of Spiral and Hikari getting married.

"Those events have not happened yet." Sophie stated. "Possibilities governed by your choices. What you've just seen is the perfect example of constants and variables. Now reclaim your focus. We are still Dueling and it is your move."

"R-right…" Spiral said. "I… I summon Legendary Guardian YX-19 (Lv.5 2100/1500) from my hand without Tribute since I have a Legend-type card in my Graveyard."

A grey, digital-looking female with data-like hair appeared on Spiral's side of the field.

"And since I have a non-Tuner Legend-type card on my field, I can Special Summon the Tuner Legendary Guardian Flame Lancer (Lv.3 1200/700)!" Spiral said. "Now I tune Flame Lancer with YX-19 to Synchro Summon Legendary Guardian Cosmos (Lv.8 2900/2300)!"

A majestic woman with black hair, a shiny crown and a dress that sparkled like the stars appeared on the field.

"Cosmos, attack her High Priestess now!" Spiral declared his attack.

Cosmos charged up a sphere of special energy in her hands.

"… Foolish." Sophie simply said.

Cosmos sent the sphere flying towards High Priestess of Prophecy.

"Magic Cylinder." Sophie said.

The Magic Cylinders absorbed Cosmos' attack through one of the cylinders, then the other cylinder shot the attack back at Spiral, reducing his Life Points to 0.

**Sophie (LP 4000) Spiral (LP 0)**

"Damn!" Spiral muttered. "How could I lose again?"

"Don't you understand?" Sophie asked. "You are too foolhardy in your abilities. That might be true for me as well, but I actually think my strategies through before I deploy them. You are being far too reckless and fell for my simple Traps. If you actually thought your plans through by observing every constant and variable, you could have at least dealt some damage. You and your Deck possess great potential, but you need to take the time to understand the situation you end up in."

Sophie then walked up to Spiral and pushed him. A blinding light caused Spiral's vision of Sophie to fade.

* * *

Back in the storage basement, Momo was strangling Shroud.

"Why didn't you think of the possibility to bring him back? !" Momo yelled. "I thought you were a genius! Now we may never see Spiral again!"

Suddenly, a rainbow portal appeared in the room and Spiral fell out of it. The portal disappeared as soon as Spiral hit the ground. Momo, Aura and Hikari ran over to him as fast as they could.

"Spiral!" They all exclaimed.

"Spiral, are you okay?" Aura asked.

"What happened?" Hikari asked.

"Never mind that!" Asuka said. "How'd you get back?"

"I'm… not entirely sure myself." Spiral responded. "I went to the past, met some crazy people and this girl took me back here."

"A girl?" Eve wondered. "What could that have been?"

"We were all so worried about you!" Momo stated. "We thought we'd never see you again!"

"Did they just not hear what Spiral said?" Azusa wondered.

"I think they're just glad Spiral's safe." Naoto said to Azusa. "That attention shows just how much they care about him."

Azusa looked back at them and couldn't help but notice the unusual look on Spiral's face. It wasn't the type of face someone would have if they got reunited with the people they care about.

*Something else happened while he was gone.* Azusa thought. *I just know it.*

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the white door in the undisclosed location, two men wearing white cloaks kneeled before it.

"Grandmaster, we have received full information on the device." One of the guys said.

"Apparently, it is a time machine." The other guys said.

…

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Cassandra Lee **Sophie**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

* * *

**Preview**

**Azusa:** Spiral's been kind of down in the dumps since he came back from whatever time period he came from. I think something may have happened.

**Asuka:** That's pretty sharp of you. I guess you're starting to come out of that shell of yours.

**Lilith:** I just realized, there are a lot of characters in this story who have names that start with the letter 'A'.

**Asuka:** What makes you say that?

**Aura:** Excuse me, what are we all talking about?

**Azusa:** Next time on Arcana of Fate! Guidance!

**Aura:** Who's doing the guiding?

**Lilith:** I hope it's me!

**Azusa:** I doubt it's you.

* * *

**Spiral's Cards**

Legendary Guardian YX-19

Legend/Effect (ATK 2100 DEF 1500)

Level 5/LIGHT

If there is a Legend-type monster in your Graveyard, you can Normal Summon this card without a Tribute. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, other monsters you control are unaffected by your opponent's card effects.

Legendary Guardian Cosmos

Legend/Synchro/Effect (ATK 2900 DEF 2300)

Level 8/DARK

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Legend-type monsters

As long as this card remains face-up on the field, other monsters you control are unaffected and cannot be targeted by card effects. Once per turn; You can banish 1 monster in your Graveyard. During the End Phase, Special Summon that monster. If you control a Xyz Monster: You can attach the summoned monster to that Xyz Monster as a Xyz Material Monster.


	6. Chapter 6: Guidance

**I hit a bit of a creative stump with this chapter, but I managed to get it done and make it longer than the last chapter without any unnecessary padding. Anyway, please enjoy and review... Please, review! Your feedback is the only thing that gives my life meaning! ... I'm just kidding. But seriously though, please review.**

* * *

*Tokyo University Duel Academy, Boys' Dorm Room*

Spiral was sitting at the table with his Deck scattered all over it. He kept looking every card over and lost in his thoughts. Naoto and Shroud were busy doing their homework.

"Wow, I've never seen Spiral like this." Naoto said. "At least not since last school year... I mean, it's good that he's reviewing his Deck, but what do you think caused it?"

"For all we know, Spiral may have been in a different time for hours even though it seemed like minutes to us." Shroud stated. "And reviewing one's Deck is essential if one wants to become a Duelist."

* * *

Back in the girls' dorm room, which belonged to the twins, Momo and Aura, there was a little something going on. Aura, Momo, Chan, Chun, Lilith, Hikari and Azusa were all trying to do each other's nails. Although Azusa was simply sitting on the edge of one of the bunk beds.

"Why didn't Asuka and Eve want to come along?" Lilith asked.

"Because Asuka finds it degrading." Aura answered.

"And Eve kind of lost interest in Spiral, so she's not into anyone anymore." Chan added.

"I know I always look sexy, but I bet that after my nails are done I'll be so hot... um... what is it that people say?" Lilith asked.

"Guys, I'm a bit worried about Spiral." Azusa expressed. "Ever since he came back from that other time period, he hasn't been the same."

"Now that you mention it, Spiral's been a lot more serious lately." Hikari stated.

"We should probably ask him what happened." Momo said. "It was rude of me to do so."

"Hey, Momo, what was that thing about the other day?" Azusa asked. "When Naoto said that Spiral had four girls after him, who did he mean? I know one of them is Eve because you just said it, but who are the other three?"

"Oh, that's right." Chan said. "You weren't here with us last year. Spiral's three admirers are Aura, Momo and Hikari here."

"What makes you like him so much?" Azusa asked.

"For the record, it's 'love'." Hikari said. "And I think he's so brave and nice and kind and caring and funny."

"Hey, you stole my words!" Momo glared at Hikari. "I also love his body. I'm not into very muscular guys. Although I mostly love him for his personality."

"Yeah, and he's so heroic and considerate." Aura said.

"To be honest, I didn't have these feelings for Spiral until I hit puberty." Momo stated. "I think I was 12 and I knew what they meant because I had a dream."

"What was it about?" Chun asked.

"Sis, are you sure you want to know?" Chan asked.

"... Maybe." Chun answered.

"The thing is Spiral likes all three of them and can't choose which one he likes more." Lilith said.

"If Spiral only picks one of you, how will the rest of you handle it?" Azusa asked.

"... I don't know." Aura responded. "Spiral was the first boy I've ever had eyes for."

"Yeah..." Hikari became lost in thought.

"Anyway, let's focus on what's happening to Spiral now." Momo said. "Come on."

"But what about our nails?" Lilith asked.

* * *

The girls went to the boys' dorm room and when they entered, they saw Spiral looking over his cards like he was trying to figure out a difficult homework question.

"Spiral, how long have you been at this?" Momo asked.

"Um... about 12 hours." Spiral answered.

"Spiral, have you slept or eaten at all?" Azusa asked.

"I'm close to a breakthrough, but I can't seem to figure it out." Spiral said. "In other words, not really."

"Spiral, you never told us what happened when you were in that other time period." Hikari told him. "What happened over there that made you like this?"

"You wanna know?" Spiral reacted. "I fought two Duels and lost them both. I was being too reckless. Now I need to review my Deck to counteract every possible strategy. That way I'll never have to worry about losing a Duel ever again."

"So the reason you're being so crazy right now is because you want to win?" Chun asked.

"Exactly!' Spiral responded. "If I lose, I'll let people down. I'm not talking about fun Duels. I'm talking about what might happen if something like what happened last year might happen again. I already lost Etsuko. I WILL NOT lose anyone else."

"Spiral, who's Etsuko?" Azusa asked.

"... She was my little sister..." Spiral said as he started to look sad. "Last year, my mom adopted her as a Christmas gift to the both of us... but something happened and she was killed right in front of me. If I was able to win that Duel quicker she might still be alive! It's my fault she died! I can't take risks anymore! I don't want anyone dying on me anymore! Those Duels made me realize how reckless I was and that I need to stop this recklessness. I just can't take the risk of losing anymore. If I continue down this path, another one of you might die."

Momo was about to walk over to Spiral, but then-

SMACK!

Azusa had slapped Spiral in the face.

"Do you even hear yourself?" Azusa asked. "You sound like a paranoid psychopath! Ever since you came into my life, I've always looked up to you! I was alone growing up because I was so scared people didn't want to be my friend! But ever since I met you guys, I'm not the same person I was when I enrolled! Now it's my turn to return the favor!"

"How are you going to do that?" Spiral asked.

"I'm going to act as your shrink!" Azusa answered. "I'm going to analyze your problems and try to figure out ways to overcome them!"

"Are you even qualified?" Shroud questioned. "You're in high school and therefore you lack a Ph.D."

* * *

Spiral and Azusa met at Kansen-en Park over in the Shinjuku district. They stood near the edge of the pond, the cherry blossoms fluttering in the breeze from the spring winds.

"Spiral, our first order of business should be reviewing your Deck." Azusa spoke up. "May I see your Deck?"

"Sure." Spiral responded, handing Azusa his Deck.

They both sat down on the grass and Azusa browsed through every card, read every effect and looked back at certain cards from time to time. When she finished, she handed Spiral his Deck back.

"Hm... Your Deck is very interesting." Azusa said.

"How so?" Spiral asked.

"Well, usually Decks focus on one particular strategy such as swarming, bringing out powerful monsters via Special Summons or locking down your opponent's options." Azusa replied. "Your cards have a level of versatility that few other Decks and archetypes can approach. One such similar Deck is the Knights of Aurora, used by the legendary Duelist Asharu Skyler."

"So I'm a jack of all trades but a master of none?" Spiral asked.

"Yes, but even a jack of all trades can come out on top." Azusa answered. "As with any Deck, it's not about the cards themselves but how you use them. My Xenoknights function similarly. Our Decks have the potential to overcome any strategy. It all depends on how we play our cards. However, sometimes the only way to defeat your opponent is to bait their traps. So a bit of recklessness might be necessary if you can afford it. While a Duelist should consider every possible outcome, sometimes they have to take risks, but don't take too many or take one too costly because that might cause you to lose in the end."

"So, what you're saying is that I can be reckless, I just have to consider it before I make a move?" Spiral asked.

"Yes." Azusa replied. "If your opponent has a face-down card, it may be better to charge in and bait whatever Trap they've set so it can allow your other cards to attack. Actually, since some of your monsters can prevent other monsters from being affected by your opponent's effects, you can summon at least two of them and you should be safe from cards like Mirror Force or Sakuretsu Armor. However, for cards like Negate Attack and Magic Cylinder, you need a card that is able to negate your opponent's Traps."

"Like the Ancient Gear cards?" Spiral asked.

"Yeah, but I think another Legend-type or archetype support card might help." Azusa said. "Spiral, are you aware of any Legend-type cards that can do this?"

"I don't think so." Spiral said, but then thought of something. "Oh, wait..."

"What is it?" Azusa asked. "Do you remember that card?"

"... No." Spiral said.

Azusa fell over in exasperation.

"Well, I see you're somewhat back to normal." Azusa said. "Let's check the park's card shop near here and see if they have anything."

Spiral and Azusa went inside the card shop and took a look around. They checked the cards under the glass counters to find the card they were looking for.

"What makes you so sure this card might be her-Found it!" Spiral exclaimed.

"That was fast!" Azusa reacted as she walked over to where Spiral was.

"Right there." Spiral pointed at the card. "Legendary Guardian Dogma Cleric. Her effect: If you control a Legend-type monster with a different name, you can negate the activation of your opponent's Trap Cards and destroy them."

"It's perfect for your Deck!" Azusa said. "How many are available?"

"Looks like they only have two." Spiral answered.

The clerk then came up to them. "Good afternoon, sir."

"What can you tell me about this card right here?" Spiral asked. "Dogma Cleric?"

"Ooh, we only have two in stock." The clerk said. "And good thing, too. It's a semi-limited card."

"Which means you can only have two in your Deck, anyway." Azusa responded.

"How much is it for both cards?" Spiral asked the clerk.

* * *

Back at the park, Spiral held both of the Dogma Cleric cards in his hand.

"Well, I'm not getting any games for the next few months." Spiral said.

"At least you got those cards." Azusa said. "Spiral, can I ask you something personal?"

"How personal are we talking about?" Spiral asked.

"It's just about Aura, Momo and Hikari." Azusa answered. "I heard you like all three of them... Isn't that a bit lecherous?"

"It'd be lecherous if I actually dated all three of them at once and requested a harem or foursome." Spiral responded. "I just care for them all equally. I know that there will come a time where I'll have to choose one of them, but I don't know if the other girls will handle it."

"I actually asked them that earlier today." Azusa stated. "They weren't sure. Now I see why Naoto was jealous of you. They're all nice girls."

"Azusa, when you know that the girls are ready for whatever happens when I make my decision, can you let me know?" Spiral asked.

"Absolutely." Azusa answered. "Hey Spiral, what was Etsuko like?"

"... She was a typical 8-year-old girl." Spiral answered, looking somewhat sad. "She was everything a person would want in a little sister... I just wish she was still here with us."

"... I'm sorry I brought that up." Azusa apologized. "It must be painful for you to remember."

"... The last time I spoke with her, I promised her that I would meet her in Heaven and play with her." Spiral stated. "She must be so lonely right now without her big brother here."

"You must really care about her." Azusa said.

Spiral began to tear up. "I miss her so much..."

Azusa couldn't help but watch Spiral tear up, then patted him on the back.

"It's okay... it's okay... let it all out..." Azusa said to Spiral.

* * *

It was night and Azusa returned to her room. She was wearing a cute pair of pink pajama pants and shirt with kitten faces all over them. She was sitting at a desk writing in a notebook.

_Today, I learned a little more about my friends, especially Spiral. He seems to really miss his little sister. To be honest, I've been viewing Spiral more differently each day. He's like the big brother I've always wanted. He also seems to be quite a stud with his girl friends. I wonder who he'll choose to be with in the end. Well, whatever happens, I'll support his decision._

Azusa stopped writing and lied down in her bed. Then a dark brown tabby kitten with white paws jumped on her bed and rested itself by Azusa's left arm.

"Hmhm..." Azusa chuckled as she started petting her kitten, purring from the attention and comfort it was getting.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spiral was standing in front of a grave. The tombstone said 'In Loving Memory of Her Brother and Mother, Etsuko'. Spiral had a sad look on his face.

"I hope you're not feeling too lonely." Spiral said as he pulled out two sets of cards. "I brought our Decks along. You want to play a game?"

Spiral sat on the ground and placed the Decks accordingly.

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Christine Marire Cabanos **Azusa**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Alison Viktorin **Chan/Chun**

* * *

**Preview**

**Spiral:** Hey, guys, I'm feeling pretty weird.

**Shroud:** Does it have to do with the fact that the next chapter is filler.

**Momo:** Whoa, what's happening to us? !

**Spiral:** This is seriously trippy! Wait, did I seriously just use the word 'trippy'? Who the hell says that anymore?

**Momo:** Next time on Arcana of Fate! The Weirdest Swap!

**Shroud:** What just swapped?

**Spiral:** You'll have to stay tuned next time to find out.

* * *

**Chan and Chun's Comedy Corner**

Chan and Chun appear on a stage in front of a microphone.

**Chun:** Back by popular demand, is Chan and Chun's Comedy Corner!

**Chan:** I wouldn't say it's back by 'popular demand'.

**Chun:** We felt that we should give our readers more of the dynamic duo of this story. Us!

**Chan:** You remembered to bring the jokes this time, right?

**Chun:** ...

**Chan:** Oh, for crying out loud, Sis!

**Chun:** Ha! I got them right here! And that was our first joke! Hope to see you next time!

**Chan:** Wait! Our time's up already? ! And that joke wasn't funny!

**Chun:** Yeah, because you were the one that got 'got'!


	7. Chapter 7: The Weirdest Swap

**Greetings, fair readers. I thought I would do a little experiment with my story. Rather than move the central story forward, I decided to post a chapter just for fun. I'd like to say what was the inspiration for it, but that would spoil the surprise and nobody wants that, do they? I hope you find just as much amusement as I did when writing it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please review.**

* * *

It was almost the end of Ms. Krystal's lecture today and the students were getting ready to leave already by closing their notebooks and placing their supplies into the bags.

"Well, that's it for today's lecture." Ms. Krystal said. "Make sure to read up on the materials for next time."

DING DONG DONG DING!

The bell reverberated across the school's PA system. All of the students were about to leave when Spiral slumped in his desk and let out a deep sigh.

"What's wrong?" Momo asked.

"Ah, it's just my mom asked me to clean the library." Spiral answered.

"Why?" Naoto asked. "Don't they have the janitor for that?"

Spiral moved his eyes back and forth suspiciously and whispered to his friends. "It's a secret part of the library where my mom keeps her top secret books and files."

"Now this I have to see." Hikari said. "There might be hidden information on the Guardians in there."

"I'm interested in this secret library myself." Aura spoke up.

"Wait, couldn't you get in trouble if you told us this?" Momo asked.

"No, my mom said it was okay to ask you guys for help." Spiral responded.

"How big of a place is this?" Aura asked. "It makes it sound like more than a single room."

"I don't know." Spiral said.

* * *

Spiral, Naoto, Aura, Momo and Hikari arrived at the library and went into a small alcove between two bookshelves, then Spiral made sure there was no one else around and pressed certain parts of the wall in a specific pattern. The wall parted sideways to reveal a staircase which led downward and they started walking down the stairs. After everyone had entered, the doors closed and the lamps aligned across the walls started to light up. They didn't have to walk far to find this 'secret library' and when they arrived, they were surprised by how expansive it was.

"... This might take a while." Spiral spoke up.

* * *

Everyone got a duster or cloth and started to clean various parts of the library. After a few hours, they managed to clean off all sticky cobwebs and grimy dust that infested in the place.

"We finally managed to clean all of this shit." Naoto said.

"I almost got bitten by spiders a few times." Aura stated.

"Would you guys mind if I stayed here and looked at some of these books?" Hikari asked. "I'm interested in what could be in them."

"I suppose that's okay." Spiral said. "We might benefit from a little reading, too."

Each person picked out a book and looked into it.

"... Huh..." Aura muttered.

"What is it?" Spiral asked.

"This book I picked up seems really weird." Aura answered.

"Weird how?" Momo asked.

Everyone gathered around Aura.

"These words..." Aura said. "... It appears to be Latin... 'Magicae'... 'Hexagone'... 'Sexum'... 'Aperito'? What could that mean?"

A purplish glow then started emanating from the book and blinded and engulfed all five of them.

* * *

A few hours had passed and Spiral had finally started to regain consciousness.

"... oh... what happened... ?" Spiral groaned as he tried to get up, but then felt something touch his back. Spiral tried to grab it from behind, but it felt weird for some reason. It was as if he was touching his own hair. "... What the... Did my hair grow longer?"

Spiral looked around at the others who were getting up, but didn't seem to recognize any of them.

"Who are you guys?" Spiral asked.

A guy with short cyan hair got up. "Wait, who are you?"

"I'm Spiral." Spiral responded.

"You're not Spiral." The guy said. "Spiral's a boy."

"What are you talking about?" Spiral asked. "Wait, has my voice always sounded this girly?"

A guy with long black hair then looked at them. "How come my chest feels lighter than usual?" The guy then looks at his chest. "What happened to my voluptuous breasts? !"

"Wait, Momo? !" Spiral asked. He then placed his hands on his chest and felt something lumpy. "... WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? !"

Then a guy with purple hair got up and walked up to them. "Just what's going on here?"

"Hold on. Hold on." Spiral said. "Let me see if I can figure this out. I'm Spiral..." He said that while placing his hands on his chest which made him blush a little. "... You're Aura." Spiral pointed to the guy with cyan hair. "...You're Momo." He pointed to the guy with black hair. "... You're Hikari." He pointed to the guy with purple hair. "Did we just swap genders for some reason?"

"When Aura said those words, it must have cast some sort of ancient spell on us." Hikari said.

"Wait, where's Naoto?" Spiral asked.

"...hrrnnn..." A girl with short dark blue hair lying on the floor groaned. "What's going on here?"

The girl got up and everyone was completely shocked by what they saw Naoto turn into. Apparently, the girl he had turned into had a slim, curvaceous build and very large breasts. Since Naoto was wearing a tight shirt, the breasts nearly popped out of the shirt causing a large amount of cleavage to be revealed and accentuating the breasts.

"Who are you guys?" The girl asked.

"Naoto?" Momo asked, mouth still agape.

"Wait, how do you know my name?" The girl asked.

"Naoto, it's us." Spiral responded. "We've all swapped genders."

"No way!" Naoto responded, then looked down at his chest. "Damn! I got some awesome tits out of the deal!"

"So when Spiral and Naoto are boys, Spiral gets the attention, but it seems that role is reversed when their genders are reversed." Hikari surmised.

"Although Spiral's still really cute." Momo said.

"Is everything all right down there?" Pulse asked as she started walking down the staircase. "I haven't heard from any of you for a few hours, so I-Uh, can I help you?"

"Mom, it's me! Spiral!" Spiral said. "My friends and I opened one of your books and now we've changed genders!"

Pulse sighed. "Which book was it?"

"It's this one." Aura handed Pulse the book she read.

Pulse looked at the book and spoke up. "This is one of the magic books I stored in here. You see, I couldn't let these fall in the wrong hands and cause strange phenomena, so I had to collect them and store them here in the secret library. As you may have guessed, this book casts a spell causing those around them to become the opposite gender. Also, the form you take depends on what your heart considers sexually attractive."

"So, by guessing Naoto's bust size, he likes girls with big bosoms." Spiral stated.

"Look who's talking!" Naoto shouted. "You've got breasts, too!"

"Yeah, but mine are average, not freakin' G-cups." Spiral talked back.

"They still say you like boobs!"

"Maybe, but at least it's a lot less shallow than you are! That's probably why you're so into Kokoro!"

"YOU BITCH!" Naoto shouted as he-er, she started having a catfight with Spiral.

Everyone just stared at the fighting they were having.

"... Now I see why guys love to see girls fight so much." Hikari commented.

"Principal Pulse, how can we get our original bodies back?" Aura asked.

"Let's see..." Pulse muttered as she sifted through the magic book's pages while Momo and Hikari only paid attention to the catfight. "It appears that the spell's effects are only temporary."

"How temporary are we talking about?" Aura asked.

"It appears that the length of the effects are directly proportional to one's libido." Pulse answered.

"What's a libido?" Aura asked.

"A sex drive." Pulse answered.

With that word, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Pulse.

"... Wouldn't that be really embarrassing for whoever returns to normal last?" Hikari asked.

*If I'm the last one to return to normal, I don't know what I'll do!* Momo worriedly thought. *I mean, Spiral may have already seen that side of me a few months ago, but I don't think I can handle everyone else knowing!*

"Heh, bet I'll go back to being a boy before you do, Naoto!" Spiral said.

"We'll see about that, flat-chest!" Naoto talked back.

"It's not flat!" Spiral shouted. "It's average!"

"Since I don't know how long this is going to take, I'm just going to tell the teachers tomorrow that you got sick and aren't able to come to class." Pulse said as she was about to leave. "When you return to normal, feel free to leave."

Pulse left the library and the others just looked at each other.

"I kinda wanna see who comes last." Aura stated.

"I can't say that we're all void of a sex drive right now." Hikari said. "We are teenagers, after all. How about we make this into a contest? Last person to go back to normal has to get us all ice cream!"

"Sounds good to me!" Spiral responded.

After about five minutes of waiting, Aura had reverted back to her girl state.

"Hehe, I knew I'd be the first one to go back." Aura lightly chuckled.

"One down, four to go." Spiral said. "Who'll be next?"

"Wait, what do you mean you 'knew you were going to be first'?" Hikari questioned Aura. "Are you saying we're sluttier than you are? That makes you better than us?"

"I didn't mean anything like that!" Aura responded.

"What's the big deal if one of us is a bit hornier than the others?" Spiral asked. "I've been thinking about it for a few minutes and realized it's not like we ARE whores. Momo, you haven't said anything for a while. Is something wrong?"

"Wah!" Momo exclaimed. "Wait, what did you just ask?"

"I was just wondering if you were okay." Spiral repeated.

"Oh, I'm fine... It's nothing." Momo simply said.

Momo continued to remain silent for a while.

25 minutes later...

Spiral had finally reverted back to his original state.

"Yes! I KNEW I'd beat you, Naoto!" Spiral shouted.

"Go to hell, Spiral!" Naoto shouted back.

"Oh, you don't mean that." Spiral said. "I guess we now know who's the least lustful of the guys... other than Shroud."

"What about Takashi?" Hikari asked.

"Do any of you honestly think I'm more lustful than he is?" Spiral questioned.

"... Okay, you have a point." Aura responded. "It's just Naoto, Hikari and Momo now. Who do you think will be last?"

"My money's on Naoto." Hikari answered.

"I feel so insulted." Naoto grumbled.

Spiral looked at Momo and noticed her still sitting around doing nothing.

*... Momo's been awfully quiet since this whole thing started.* Spiral thought. *Is she concerned that she'll be the last one? If it was just me, I'm sure she wouldn't mind. After all, I saw that part of her back in the mirror world. But with everyone else here...*

30 minutes later...

Everybody passed the time by texting each other repeatedly.

"... Okay, this is getting annoying and boring." Naoto spoke up. "Can't we just talk?"

Just then, Naoto returned to normal and the sudden breast reduction accentuated how stretched out his shirt was.

"Damn it! Now I have to get a new shirt!" Naoto yelled.

"Now there are only two people left." Spiral stated.

"Who's it going to be? Momo or Hikari?" Aura wondered.

Both Momo and Hikari got incredibly nervous and began panicking in their heads.

*Please, don't let me be last! Please, don't let me be last!* They both repeated in their heads.

Suddenly, Hikari went back to her normal girl state, shortly followed by Momo.

"YES! HAHA!" Hikari laughed and jumped in joy. "I'M NOT THE SLUTTIEST!"

Momo's mouth was completely agape. *Why? ...* She thought. *Why did this have to happen?*

"Now we know which one of us is the horniest." Naoto stated.

*Words cannot describe how embarrassing this is right now.* Momo thought.

"Now Momo has to get us all ice cream!" Hikari announced as she placed her arm around Momo's shoulders.

"I'll let my mom know that we're all back to normal and can go to class tomorrow." Spiral said as he pulled out his phone.

"To the ice cream parlor!" Hikari declared.

* * *

Later that night, Spiral had just gotten out of the boys' bath room after a relaxing bath with a bottle of ice cold water in his hand which he took several gulps of.

"Ah!" Spiral sighed. "Nothing like a cold drink after a hot bath!"

Spiral then heard sobbing from somewhere nearby. He noticed it was coming from the changing room of the girls' bath room.

"Excuse me, are you decent in there?" Spiral asked.

"What is it, Spiral?" Momo's voice came from the room.

Spiral entered the room where Momo was sitting on the floor, crying (she was fully clothed by the way). "Momo, what's wrong? Are you embarrassed about what happened earlier?"

"Yes, but that's not why I'm crying." Momo answered. "When your mom said that we became what we consider sexually attractive and I saw you like that, I just felt like I lost all my confidence."

"Why would that make you lose your confidence?" Spiral asked.

"Because..." Momo couldn't find the right words. "... You looked more like Aura or Hikari... When I noticed that, I... I just became sad..."

"Momo..." Spiral said as he sat down next to her. "You want to know something? I like girls who are cute. That's what it meant. And the reason my breasts were average is because, while I admit I like them like any other guy, it doesn't matter that much to me."

"But I'm not cute..." Momo looked down.

"What are you talking about?" Spiral questioned. "You ARE cute. You're cute and sexy at the same time."

"You really think so?" Momo asked.

"Absolutely." Spiral confirmed.

"Spiral... why is it that you like all of us?" Momo asked.

"You're all really nice girls." Spiral answered. "Your personalities have traits that apparently I find attractive. And can I trust you with a secret?"

Momo nodded.

"I'm a bit of a closet perv." Spiral said. "I don't have magazines or video tapes or anything like that, for several reasons. I just use my imagination."

"It's okay, Spiral." Momo said. "We all have needs... Says the most lustful member of our group."

"Yeah, I guess we all do..." Spiral agreed.

"... You know, even though I have the strongest sex drive of our friends, my thoughts have always been about you." Momo expressed.

"I think you just proved that having a strong sex drive doesn't mean a person is slutty." Spiral stated.

"Hehe, thanks." Momo chuckled.

They both smile and look at each other for several moments.

"Um..." Spiral blushed as he stood up. "I-I better get going. Curfew and all that."

"Y-yeah, me too." Momo said as she blushed stood up. "Thank you for talking with me. That's one of the reasons we like you so much. You always know how to cheer someone up."

"Well, see ya tomorrow." Spiral said as he left the girls' changing room.

"Yeah, see ya." Momo said back. "... I think I'll go take my bath now."

* * *

It was midnight. At a dilapidated factory, three people had gathered, one of them was sitting on top of one of the machines, one of them leaned against the machines while another was just standing around.

"How much longer is he going to keep us waiting?" A man asked.

"Seriously." A woman said. "He's supposed to be here by now."

Step... Step...

"... He's here." Another man said.

The footsteps continued to move closer until a figure stepped in the center of the factory.

"You're quite the punctual bunch." The new person said. "I think I've kept you all waiting long enough. Our next job is to infiltrate Tokyo University Duel Academy and acquire a certain device."

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Female Spiral**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Newton Pittman **Male Momo**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Alexis Tipton **Aura/Female Naoto**

Vic Mignogna **Male Aura**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

David Vincent **Male Hikari**

Kate Higgins **Pulse**

* * *

**Preview**

**Naoto:** That was a weird chapter.

**Spiral:** But it was fun to say the least. But next time is the Spring Festival!

**Aura:** Will we have to build everything?

**Spiral:** No, nothing like that. Although we WILL be making a band.

**Hikari:** Can I be the lead vocals?

**Spiral:** Next time on Arcana of Fate! Spring Surprise! You won't want to miss it!

* * *

**Chan and Chun's Comedy Corner**

Chan and Chun appear on a stage in front of a microphone.

**Chun:** Welcome back to Chan and Chun's Comedy Corner!

**Chan:** You know, we probably would've been more popular if we had started this thing closer to the beginning of the last story.

**Chun:** Anyway, Sis, didn't you think Female Naoto's breasts were ridiculously huge?

**Chan:** No kidding. Glad he didn't get near any sharp objects.

**Chun:** I bet those things would make a valuable flotation device. I hope I get boobs that big when I get older. That way I'll be cute and hot just like Momo.

**Chan:** I better get more fat in my diet if I'm to catch up.

**Chun:** What was that?

**Chan:** Nothing! Anyway, that's the end of today's show! see you later!

**Chun:** Tell me what you just said!


	8. Chapter 8: Spring Surprise

**Man, I had a hard time trying to write parts of this chapter. I've also been feeling a little under the weather lately due to my sinuses acting up for about a few days. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. And please review.**

* * *

*Tokyo University Duel Academy, Boys' Dorm Room*

Spiral, Naoto and Takashi were sitting at a table playing a game of UNO while Shroud was lying on the top bunk reading a manga.

"Okay, which girl from _Fairy Tail_ would you like to go out with-slash-sleep with?" Spiral asked.

"Lucy, easy." Takashi answered. "Those huge knockers of hers and that whip... I like that kind of woman."

"Really?" Naoto asked. "I prefer Erza myself."

"I am also a fan of Erza." Spiral affirmed. "She's both a badass and a lady."

"Your tastes in women aren't as refined as mine." Takashi stated.

"Wait, hold on." Spiral said. "I know we're supposed to be guys, but why does every one of our discussions have to be about sex? You know what? I have a question. Who would you rather be stuck on a deserted island with: Shroud or Death the Kid?"

"Easy, Kid." Naoto answered.

"I agree, Kid." Takashi said.

"I would also say Kid." Spiral agreed.

"This is stupid!" Takashi shouted. "I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SEX!"

Eve then came barging through the door. "Guys! I need your help!"

"What could it be, person-who-was-put-in-charge-of-this-year's-Spring -Dance-committee-instead-of-the-obvious-choice- which-is-me?" Shroud asked in a smartass tone.

Oh, yes, I should have mentioned that the Spring Dance is a school event in which the students partake in a dance to help relieve stress.

"The band I planned on hiring can't make it." Eve responded. "And there are no other Japanese bands that are able to play."

"Why not get some American bands?" Shroud asked.

"Shroud, American music these days sucks." Spiral told him. "Listening to just about any of that shit will cause a waterfall of blood to pour from your ears."

"Exactly." Eve agreed. "So I was wondering if any of you guys are able to play any instruments."

"... Can't you just do something else?" Naoto asked. "I don't think any of us can play an instrument."

"I still have my recorder from when I was younger." Shroud stated. "And I even have a theremin."

"What's a theremin?" Takashi asked.

Shroud got off his bed and went to the closet to take something out. It was a board with an antenna on one side. Shroud placed his hands over it like a conductor's motions and a synthetic rhythm came from the device.

"This instrument was used in _Star Trek_." Shroud said. "Ever since, I've always dreamed of playing this instrument."

Shroud continued to play his theremin, which kind of annoyed everyone else.

"I could probably DJ." Spiral suggested. "All I'd need is an iPod with a ton of popular Japanese songs and attach it to some device. Shroud can prob-Oh, wait, no he won't because he's a sore loser."

"I can probably help with that." Eve stated.

"Great." Spiral responded. "Now all I need is an iPod and a list of Japan's most popular songs."

"I'll agree that American music sucks, but I like Kelly Clarkson and Evanescence." Naoto expressed.

"Yeah, I like their music, too." Spiral agreed. "I think of them as exceptions to my earlier comment."

"Oh, I almost forgot." Takashi spoke up. "Have you heard about that one group lately?"

"What group?" Spiral asked.

"A group of Duelists in white robes." Takashi answered. "They call themselves the Prophets and sometimes when they make contact with a person, they disappear."

"The Prophet or the other person?" Naoto asked.

"The other person." Takashi responded. "There might be a connection between them and the people who have gone missing recently. What's more, the Prophets are gaining more members each day. Creepy, huh?"

"Sounds like an urban legend to me." Spiral expressed. "Or a rumor blown out of proportion. Boy, do those happen a lot."

"That still sounds kind of strange, though." Eve stated.

* * *

A few days later, the Spring Dance was underway. Taking place in the school's giant gymnasium, the students had gathered and were all waiting for Spiral and Eve to finish up their preparations on the stage.

"How do things look down there?" Spiral asked Eve.

Eve was twiddling with some wires.

"Almost done... and there we go." Eve said. "Everything should be ship-shape."

"Excellent." Spiral said. "Thanks for your help there. Good thing we managed to have Aura overlook the decorations. Otherwise I don't think we could have finished all this in time."

"Yeah, well, I figured she would be better for the job anyway." Eve stated. "Guess I was right. Then again, I'm pretty much always right."

"... Great, just what we need. Another Shroud." Spiral commented. "Although you don't seem as annoying."

"Shroud's a bit childish, isn't he?" Eve asked. "But I suppose that makes him kind of cute."

"... By cute, do you mean kitten cute or... ?" Spiral asked.

"Kitten cute." Eve answered.

"Oh, good." Spiral somewhat sighed.

Aura, Momo, Hikari and Azusa then walked up to Spiral and Eve.

"You guys all set?" Momo asked.

"We sure are." Spiral answered. "Why are you up here? Don't you guys want to dance?"

"I'm still a little uneasy about dancing." Azusa responded.

"We thought we'd have a bit more fun watching you DJ." Aura stated.

"I am a bit of a music connoisseur." Spiral told them. "Although I'm not fond of rap at all. Hip-hop, yes. Rap, no."

"Where are Takashi and Naoto?" Hikari asked.

"Takashi is trying to hit on girls by asking them to dance while Naoto is gonna dance with his girl." Spiral answered. "And I believe Shroud is probably either going to sabotage the dance or stay in his room moping. Speaking of which, someone should keep watch in case he plans to ruin the dance." Spiral then held up a microphone. "Hello, Tokyo U! Are you ready to get this dance underway?"

* * *

Meanwhile, a large man wearing an iron mask and full body armor was walking down the hallway. He had stopped at the doors to the gymnasium.

* * *

In the school's power room, a young woman with long blonde hair wearing a leather tube-top and leather pants was standing next to a slightly older man with spiky grey hair with yellow streaks, wearing sunglasses, a grey jacket with yellow lines across the sleeves, a black T-shirt and black cargo pants.

"How much longer should this take?" The woman asked.

"The power should go off right about..." The man said.

* * *

Back in the gymnasium, just as the song ended the power went out and a lot of screams and murmurs could be heard.

"What's going on?" Spiral wondered.

Some of the students pulled out their phones to try to provide some light in the darkness.

"Is this a power outag-Wait, Shroud's behind this, isn't he?" Spiral said.

"Actually..."

Everyone turned around and Hikari took out a small flashlight out of her pocket to shine it in the direction of the voice. The light revealed the speaker to be Asuka and she was holding up Shroud by the collar.

"I caught him sneaking around the back." Asuka said. "Probably searching for the electrical outlet that the DJ equipment is connected to."

"And I noticed him!" Lilith exclaimed as she came up from behind Asuka.

"Wait, if he's here, then what-" Aura was about to ask.

"Hey, the doors won't open!" One of the students shouted. "It won't budge."

"That's peculiar." Eve responded. "I could have sworn those doors were unlocked a minute ago."

"... Guys, I think we should take the back door!" Momo suggested. "Hopefully, it's still open and we can figure this all out."

The nine of them ran to the behind the stage and found that the back door was still unlocked.

"Good, it's still unlocked." Spiral said.

Spiral then tried to push the door, but something pushed back and tried to hold the door in place.

"What the!" Spiral exclaimed. "I think someone's trying to keep us from coming through!"

"I'll take care of it!" Asuka shouted as she charged at the door.

Asuka managed to break down the door and push the person holding it back away. Even the hallways lights were out. When Hikari shined the light around, they saw the man in iron was standing on his feet.

"What's with this guy?" Azusa asked. "He looks like a robot in that outfit."

"Are you the one who locked the gym doors?" Spiral asked.

"... Indeed, I am." The man answered in a synthetic voice. "Although a better question would be how you managed to push the door while I was holding you back."

BAM!

Asuka had clocked him clean in the jaw.

"I'm a lot stronger than some tin man!" Asuka shouted.

The man in iron stood back up. "I must say that's impressive strength you have."

"One's gotta stay tough to protect herself." Asuka commented.

"That took me by surprise." The man said. "I was only using half of my true strength holding you back. I won't make that mistake again."

The man then charged for Asuka and the two locked arms with each other to try to overwhelm the other.

"Gg... Guys! I've got this!" Asuka yelled. "You try to make your way to the power room while I take care of this guy!"

"What about the others trapped in there?" Aura asked.

"If this guy was able to lock the gym doors right before the power outage, that would mean someone else messed with the power." Asuka told them. "There might be another person here. While I'm locking horns with this guy, you check the power room to make sure who's messing with us! Go! NOW!"

"I'll stay here in case something happens!" Lilith shouted. "The rest of you go on ahead!"

"Are you sure?" Spiral asked.

"Don't worry about us." Lilith smirked.

Spiral, Aura, Shroud, Eve, Azusa, Momo and Hikari then ran off while Asuka and the man continued to lock arms.

"By the way, I never caught your name." Asuka said.

"I am called _Omicron_(Age ?)." The man stated.

"Weird name, but that won't help you!" Asuksa grunted as the two continued to try and grapple each other.

* * *

Spiral and everyone else that left passed by the outside of the gymnasium doors to see that the man named Omicron had placed a piece of metal between the handles of the doors and bended them to prevent them from opening. None of them were strong enough to unbend the metal bar.

"If only Asuka was here, we could get everyone out of there." Azusa said.

"Maybe not." Eve said. "I mean if everyone in the school was loose while there are at least two strange people about, an innocent bystander might get seriously hurt."

"And I DEFINITELY don't want that." Spiral expressed. "Not after what happened last year. Plus, Naoto and Lilith are still back there and if anything happens, I'm sure they can handle it."

"... Oh my God! What if they somehow planted a bug on one of you guys and found out about my time machine? !" Shroud realized.

"I don't think-" Eve was about to say.

"I have to get going!" Shroud shouted as he ran off.

"Shroud! Wait!" Aura called to him. "What if that other guy's dangerous? He might kill you!"

"... Should we go after him?" Eve asked.

"Even he's an innocent bystander at this point." Spiral answered.

Everyone else ran off in the direction Shroud went to, which was towards the school's basement.

* * *

Shroud had finally reached the door leading to the basement staircase. He reached out for the door when-

BAM!

The door sprang open so fast, Shroud was sent flying back a bit. He looked up and saw that from within the door was the man with grey-yellow hair. Shroud couldn't help but feel fear course through his body.

"How did you get out of the gym?" The man menacingly interrogated. "Are you a straggler?"

"What are you doing here? !" Shroud asked.

"No one is allowed to pass through." The man told him. "I don't wish to hurt you, kid, but I'm not allowed to let anyone into the basement."

"So you ARE after my time machine!" Shroud shouted. "And that must mean there's at least one other person besides you and Iron Man back there!"

"Quite the deduction you've made." The man stated. "Not surprising from one of the kids who invented a working time machine. In fact, I think you've also just invented a device which allows whoever uses the time machine to return the point in time in which they left."

"How much do you know?" Shroud asked.

"That is all that I know about the devices." The man responded.

"Let me through right now!" Shroud yelled. "It's MY lab!"

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear." The man said.

The man then touched the edge of the open doorway and suddenly electricity began to course from them to the opposite side, forming an electric gate.

"How did you do that?" Shroud asked.

"Let's just say I'm not human anymore." The man answered. "Only I can pass through this electric fence. Anyone else will be electrocuted."

"SHROUD!"

Shroud looked over and saw his friends running toward him.

"Shroud, I tried to warn you that this guy might kill you!" Aura shouted.

"I wouldn't have killed him." The man said. "I don't kill unless it's deemed absolutely necessary. There are no reasons to kill any of you, so I suggest you leave."

Spiral then noticed the electricity flowing between the edges of the doorway.

"What is that?" Spiral asked.

"Somehow he created an electric gate to block us off." Shroud answered. "I think he's some sort of mutant, like in _X-Men_! Whoever else is in there, they're after my time machine!"

"OUR time machine!" Eve pointed out.

"Can you see with those sunglasses on?" Spiral asked.

"I can see perfectly well." The man answered.

Spiral looked at his arm and saw that there was a grey and yellow Duel Disk wrapped around his left wrist.

"You're a Duelist?" Spiral asked. "If so, then I challenge you!"

"Spiral, we need to focus on getting through that electric gate." Momo told him.

"Actually, it's been long time since I've had a Duel." The man stated. "Very well, I accept your challenge."

"And if I win, you have to drop that barrier!" Spiral said.

"... I know it goes against the job I've been hired to do, but it's not like you'll be able to beat me." The man said. "I've never lost."

"Don't underestimate me!" Spiral smirked. "I'm much stronger than you think!"

"We'll see about that." The man said. "What's your name, kid?"

"Spiral. What's yours?" Spiral asked.

"... It's _Static _(Age ?)." The man named Static responded as he activated something on his sunglasses, causing the lens in front of his left eye to light up green.

Spiral then activated his Duel Disk and Duel Gazer and everyone else activated their Duel Gazers to watch the Duel.

"Let's Duel!" They both shouted.

**Static (LP 4000) Spiral (LP 4000)**

"I'll go first!" Spiral said as he drew his first card. "I'll set this card face-down in defense mode! Then I'll place one card face-down and end my turn!"

"Now it's my turn!" Static said as he drew his first card. "First I activate the Field Spell Stormy Graveyard!"

The area around them changed into a graveyard near a cliff with dark storm clouds above them and lightning and thunder coming from those clouds.

"Before I show you what it does, I activate Pot of Greed to draw 2 more cards!" Static said as he drew 2 cards. "Now I summon Voltic Gravelord Shocktrooper (Lv.4 1900/1500)!"

An electrified skeleton wearing an armored military uniform carrying a portable machine gun appeared on the field.

"Thanks to Stormy Graveyard, when I summon a Zombie or Thunder-type monster, I can select a card from my Graveyard and return it to my Deck!" Static stated. "Since Pot of Greed is the only card in my Graveyard, it's going back in my Deck! Shocktrooper, attack his face-down card!"

Voltic Gravelord Shocktrooper fired his machine gun at Spiral's face-down monster, which looked like an orange ball with wings, and destroyed it.

"The card you just destroyed was Legendary Herald (Lv.2 500/500)!" Spiral stated. "When it's sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can summon a Legend-type card with 2000 or less attack points from my Deck in defense mode! I'm going to summon Legendary Guardian Dogma Cleric (Lv.4 1500/1600)!"

A woman wearing white cleric robes holding a mace appeared on the field.

"Awesome!" Azusa exclaimed. "That's Spiral's new card!"

"I'll set one card face-down and end my turn!" Static concluded.

Spiral drew his next card. "First I summon Legendary Guardian Wave Fighter (Lv.3 1400/800) in attack mode! And since I control a non-Tuner Legend-type card, I can Special Summon the Tuner Legendary Guardian Flame Lancer (Lv.3 1200/700)!" Spiral continued. "Now I tune Flame Lancer with Wave Fighter to Synchro Summon Legendary Guardian Echo (Lv.6 2400/1900)!"

Wave Fighter's armor was mostly removed, revealing her flowing purple hair and black leather suit that lied underneath it.

"I activate Bottomless Trap Hole!" Static responded. "Since you summoned a monster with 1500 or more attack points, it's banished!"

"Heh!" Spiral smirked. "I don't think so! I activate Dogma Cleric's special ability! As long as I control a Legend-type card with a different name than Dogma Cleric, she can negate the activation of your Trap Cards and destroy them!"

Dogma Cleric clapped her hands together and prayed. This caused a golden aura to envelop herself and Static's Trap Card, which was then destroyed.

"Damn it!" Static cursed.

"Now I'll use Echo's ability!" Spiral said. "For each card on your side of the field, you get hit with 400 points of damage!"

Echo shot a sound wave at Voltic Gravelord Shocktrooper which then bounced off of it to Static's face-down card which then bounced off od it to Static himself, inflicting Static with 800 points of damage.

**Static (LP 3200) Spiral (LP 4000)**

"Echo, attack his Shocktrooper!" Spiral declared his attack.

Echo used her sword to slash the Shocktrooper in two, destroying it and inflicting Static with 500 points of damage.

**Static (LP 2700) Spiral (LP 4000)**

"When my Shocktrooper is destroyed, I can Special Summon another Voltic Gravelord from my Deck!" Static pointed out. "I choose to summon Voltic Gravelord Lightning Rod (Lv.4 0/1800)!"

An electrified skeleton with tesla coils protruding from its shoulders appeared on the field.

"And since I summoned another Zombie or Thunder-type monster, Stormy Graveyard allows me to take my Bottomless Trap Hole and put it back in my Deck!" Static stated.

"I end my turn by placing one card face-down!" Spiral finished.

Static drew his next card. "I activate the Spell Card Book of Life! I choose a Zombie-type monster in my Graveyard and a monster in your Graveyard! My monster is summoned to the field while your monster is banished! I'm bringing back my Shocktrooper and banishing your Flame Lancer to prevent you from tuning it with anything should you bring it back! Then I Normal Summon Voltic Gravelord Attack Hound (Lv.4 1700/1100)!"

A giant electrified dog skeleton appeared on the field.

"Now I overlay my 3 Level 4 monsters!" Static said as his monsters turned into streams of light that entered a cosmic vortex that appeared in front of him. "I Xyz Summon Voltic Gravelord Undead Dragon (Rank 4 3000/2100)!"

A massive, electrified and deteriorated skeletal dragon appeared out of the cosmic vortex and roared with such ferocity, chills ran through everyone's spines.

"Now I activate his special ability!" Static shouted. "Once per turn, I can detach one of his Xyz Materials to reduce the attack power of all non-Zombie, Machine or Thunder-type monsters by 500! Also, my dragon counts as both a Zombie-type and a Thunder-type monster, so he's unaffected by it!"

Undead Dragon breathed out a poison smog that caused all of Spiral's monsters to get sick and lose 500 attack points.

"Voltic Gravelord Undead Dragon, attack Legendary Guardian Echo!" Static declared his attack.

Undead Dragon breathed a lightning breath attack at Echo and destroyed her, inflicting Spiral with 1100 points of damage.

**Static (LP 2700) Spiral (LP 2900)**

"I end my turn!" Static said.

Spiral then drew his next card and thought to himself. *Dogma Cleric was able to give me an edge for a bit, but now I've got that dragon to deal with. I need to buy enough time to properly counterattack.* "I summon Legendary Guardian Energy Binder (Lv.2 700/500) in defense mode and activate his ability! Each turn, he can decrease the attack and defense points of one of your monsters by 200 for each of his Levels! Since he's Level 2, your dragon loses 400 attack and defense points!"

Energy Binder wrapped streams of energy around the limbs of Undead Dragon, reducing his attack and defense points to 2600 and 1700 respectively.

"I end my turn!" Spiral said.

"That it?" Static asked, then drew his next card. "I equip my dragon with Fairy Meteor Crush! Now he can inflict piercing damage! Also, I activate the Spell Card Wrath of the Voltic Gravelords! I look at the top two cards of my Deck and for each Zombie or Thunder-type monster revealed, a Voltic Gravelord monster I control gains 700 attack points until the End Phase!" Static looked at the top two cards of his Deck. "I've drawn one, so my dragon gains 700 attack points! Now attack Dogma Cleric!"

Undead Dragon shot another breath of lightning at Dogma Cleric, but Energy Binder got in the way of the attack.

"Sorry, but Energy Binder prevents you from attacking other monsters on my field!" Spiral explained. "And I'll use this opportunity to activate the Trap Protecting the Innocent! This prevents Level 4 or lower cards from being destroyed in battle this turn!"

Energy Binder barely withstood the attack and the piercing damage caused Spiral to lose 2800 Life Points.

**Static (LP 2700) Spiral (LP 100)**

"I end my turn then!" Static said.

Spiral drew his next card. "Since I have a Legend-type card in my Graveyard, I can Normal Summon Legendary Guardian YX-19 without a Tribute! And since I successfully Normal Summoned a Legend-type card, I can Special Summon the Tuner Legendary Guardian Aviary (Lv.3 1500/700)! Then I use Energy Binder's ability to zap another 400 attack and defense points from your dragon! Now I tune Aviary with Energy Binder to Synchro Summon Legendary Guardian Electron (Lv.5 1700/1600)! Now I use his ability to decrease your dragon's attack and defense points by 1500! Then I switch Dogma Cleric to attack mode! Finally, I overlay my Level 5 Electron and YX-19 to Synchro Summon Legendary Guardian Volcanic Chaos (Rank 5 2650/1850)!"

Out of the Overlay Network appeared some sort of giant organism made out of lava and volcanic rock. He was glowing with the orange, red and black that accompanied the lava.

"Volcanic Chaos, attack his dragon now!" Spiral declared his attack.

Volcanic Chaos slammed his fists into the ground and lava burst out of the ground underneath Undead Dragon and destroyed him, inflicting Static with 1950 points of damage.

**Static (LP 750) Spiral (LP 100)**

"Dogma Cleric, finish him off!" Spiral shouted.

Dogma Cleric jumped up and slammed Static in the face with her mace, reducing Static's Life Points to 0.

**Static (LP 0) Spiral (LP 100)**

"Spiral, you did it!" Aura jumped with joy.

"Are you going to let us through now?" Shroud asked.

"Shroud, he's a bad guy." Eve pointed out. "There's no way he'd let us-"

"Very well." Static said.

"Exactly as I thou... wait, what?" Eve asked.

"I will remove the barrier." Static stated. "I might be a less than reputable character, but I do have a sense of honor."

"Well... good." Spiral responded.

Static placed his hand against the doorway again and the electricity running through it dissipated. Shroud immediately ran down the staircase and then Static pointed his finger at Spiral.

"Huh?" Spiral reacted.

"... This won't be our last Duel." Static said. "Next time, you're going down."

"Heh, just try." Spiral chuckled. "I look forward to our next Duel."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at where Asuka and Lilith stayed behind, Asuka was lying on the floor covered in bruises as Omicron dusted himself off. He seemed to have several dents in his armor. Lilith couldn't help but chatter her teeth at the sight of Asuka losing a fight of strength.

"That took longer than I thought it would." Omicron said. "Out of any person who has challenged me to close combat, you have lasted the longest and came the closest to defeating me. That is an impressive feat in its own right, and even more so since you are a female."

Asuka's eyes then shot wide open and in the blink of an eye she grabbed Omicron by his torso.

"Don't. You. EVER CONSIDER A GIRL WEAK!" Asuka yelled.

Asuka then performed an atomic suplex, smashing Omicron's head into the ground and the jumping up, getting on top of him and send his body smashing into the ground.

"Amazing, Asuka!" Lilith cheered. "I wouldn't be surprised if I got a girly crush on you right now!"

Asuka turned completely red. "D-Don't say things like that out loud, you idiot!"

"You..." Omicron groaned. "Have defeated me... You truly are amazing. I guess this is one of those cases where man CAN indeed best machine."

"What are you talking about?" Asuka questioned.

"I thought it might have been obvious from our fight." Omicron stated. "I am a sentient artificial intelligence inside of a mobile unit."

"Are you saying you're some sort of robot?" Asuka asked.

"Sort of." Omicron answered. "What you humans refer to as 'my mind' was designed separately from this body. I am a computer system that was given human thought and emotion, the first of my kind to be created. I am merely a prototype that future models would be based off of."

"How come I never heard of this?" Asuka asked.

"Those who developed me didn't want to reveal their true creation until I was confirmed to be finished." Omicron responded. "However, I was stolen before that and their development on future models was forced to cease."

"Who stole you?" Asuka asked.

"She is an expert thief and treasure hunter." Omicron replied. "And I am forever grateful to her for freeing me from that metaphorical prison called a laboratory. Her name is Karina. Your name is... Asuka, right? Please help me and take me to the basement. If my other comrade remained behind, then I fear that Karina may be in danger."

"What makes you say that?" Lilith asked.

"Because there are four of us here." Omicron stated. "Myself, Static, Karina and a fourth person. Karina is with that fourth person, alone. It might be the 'human instinct' that's a part of my programming, but I have this bed feeling about him."

* * *

In the school's basement where Shroud and Eve set up the laboratory, the woman that was with Static earlier was standing next to a man with completely white clothing and short black hair.

"Here it is." The woman said as she removed several wires from the wall. "This should be the time machine you asked us to steal. I can't believe some kids were actually able to build a fully functional one. Although, I have a question: How are we going to get this thing out of here? It's too big to fit through that door and it's the only way out of here."

"Wait for it, _Karina _(Age 19)." The man said.

"Huh?" The woman named Karina was confused.

There was a sudden rumble that could be felt through the basement.

* * *

As Static led everyone down the basement, they started to feel the rumbling which kept intensifying.

"Ah, what is that?" Azusa asked.

"What are your friends doing down there?" Spiral asked.

"I don't know." Static responded. "Let's keep moving!"

* * *

The rumbling kept intensifying until something came out of the basement wall. It was some sort of drilling machine piloted by a person in a white cloak.

"A drill?" Karina said.

Karina then felt something sharp touch the side of her neck. It appeared that the man that was with her was holding a Japanese sword to her neck.

"I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to live." The man said with a cold, emotionless expression. "I never intended to keep any of you alive after this job, but I had another motive. You had the audacity to snoop around for information on me."

"Karina!"

Karina and the man looked over and saw that Static had burst through the door, followed by Spiral and everyone else.

"What the hell is this?" Static asked.

"Nothing." The man responded. "Just business."

"Does that business involve cutting loose ends?" Karina questioned.

"I wouldn't talk back if I were in your situation." The man told her. "Then again, I would just kill the person who made that threat without giving it a second thought. Static, why did you bring those children with you? You were supposed to prevent anyone from coming in here."

"They defeated me." Static replied. "What else was I supposed to do?"

"You let them through just because they defeated you?" The man questioned. "What idiocy. When a gatekeeper is defeated, they don't open the gate. They die."

The man threw another sword right at Static and he tried to dodge it, but it was moving so fast that the instant he threw it, the sword was impaled into Static's shoulder, almost cutting his arm off.

"I missed." The man said. "I was aiming for your head. No matter. I can just kill your friend here."

"No!" Static growled. "Leave her alone, you bastard!"

"Farewell." The man said.

Suddenly, a bullet had shot through the man's forearm, causing him to drop his sword. He looked over and saw that Omicron had fired a bullet.

"You? ! What did you do with Asuka? !" Spiral demanded to know.

"I'm right here." Asuka said as she managed to catch up to them. "What the hell's going on?"

Karina ran to the group and tried to pull the sword out of Static's shoulder.

"Listen, that man was never planning on letting any of us live." Karina told him. "What's more, he's a member of the Prophets."

"Wait." Shroud said. "You mean that unusual group that's been skulking about as of late?"

"The very same." Karina responded. "And he's not JUST a member of the Prophets... he's their leader, _Ryu _(Age ?)."

"Hmph, you're too nosy for your own good." The man named Ryu smirked. "Yes, I am the leader of the Prophets and I have hired these thieves to obtain this time machine."

"How did you even find out about the machine?" Eve questioned. "Only me, Shroud and our friends are aware of it."

"Silly girl, you can't hide from the Prophets." Ryu stated. "We know everything."

The cloaked man ran up to Ryu and kneeled before him.

"Grandmaster, the devices have been placed in the cargo hold." The cloaked man said. "We are ready to depart on your word."

"I've already wasted enough time, but before I go..." Ryu said as he picked up the sword he dropped and threw it at Karina.

Karina was frozen where she was as the sword was thrown right at her. She closed her eyes, bracing for inevitable death... but death didn't come. She opened her eyes and noticed that someone was standing in front of her. It was Omicron and his head slid off his torso. The rest of his body dropped to the floor, short-circuited and completely powered down.

"OMICRON!" Karina shouted and started to tear up. "You... gave your life to save me."

"I suppose one of you dying will do for now." Ryu said as he got inside the drilling vehicle. "This won't be the last time we'll meet. I know who you all are and my followers will hunt you all down until you're all dead. Until we meet again."

The drilling vehicle backed out and then an explosion occurred after they backed up far enough. The explosion caused the cave they made to collapse, preventing anyone from following them.

"... They will pay for this." Karina muttered.

Static looked at Karina. "Karina, just say the word... and I'll kill every last one of the bastards."

"... Asuka, what happened to the doors that guy blocked?" Spiral asked.

Asuka then realized something important.

* * *

"LET US OUT!" A student shouted from the gymnasium.

"IT'S DARK IN HERE!" Another student shouted.

* * *

The next morning, Principal Pulse was in her office sitting at her desk contemplating over the events of the previous night. Spiral, Shroud, Eve, Aura, Momo, Hikari, Naoto, Asuka, Lilith and Takashi were standing in front of her desk.

"... The Prophets have attacked our school and have stolen a device that could affect the very fabric of our reality." Pulse spoke. "You know as well as I do that this act of aggression will not go unpunished. Which is why starting today, we are at war with the Prophets."

* * *

Meanwhile, at an undisclosed location, a group of people were connecting the stolen time machine to various forms of machinery that appeared far too complex to describe. Ryu walked up to the device.

"Is the time machine ready yet?" Ryu asked.

"G-Grandmaster!" A worker stuttered.

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and kneeled before him.

"We're almost finished." The worker stated.

"Good." Ryu said. "Soon, that girl will have nowhere to run."

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Johnny Yong Bosch **Takashi**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

David Wald **Static**

Paul St. Peter **Ryu**

Jamie Marchi **Karina**

Vic Mignona **Omicron**

Kate Higgins **Pulse**

* * *

**Preview**

**Eve:** I can't believe that bastard stole the time machine! He's going to die for this!

**Spiral:** Wait, if Static and Karina are thieves, what's going to happen to them?

**Asuka:** That girl... didn't she spend some time with me back at the culture festival last year?

**Spiral:** Wait! That's the girl who brought me back here! Why are the Prophets after her? Next time on Arcana of Fate! Sophie Revealed! You won't want to miss it!

**Eve:** Yeah, because I'm going to kill every one of those assholes!

* * *

**Spiral's Cards**

Legendary Herald

Legend/Effect (ATK 500 DEF 500)

Level 2/LIGHT

When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 Legend-type monster with 2000 or less ATK other than "Legendary Herald" from your Deck in face-up Defense Position.

Legendary Guardian Dogma Cleric

Legend/Effect (ATK 1500 DEF 1600)

Level 4/LIGHT

As long as you control a Legend-type monster other than "Legendary Guardian Dogma Cleric"; You can negate the activation of your opponent's Trap Cards and destroy them.

Legendary Guardian Echo

Legend/Synchro/Effect (ATK 2400 DEF 1900)

Level 6/WIND

1 Tuner + "Legendary Guardian Wave Fighter"

As long as this card remains face-up on the field; other cards you control cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects. Once per turn: You can inflict 400 damage to your opponent for each card your opponent's side of the field.

Protecting the Innocent

Trap

Level 4 or lower monsters you control cannot be destroyed (by battle or card effect) until the End Phase.

Legendary Guardian Volcanic Chaos

Legend/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2650 DEF 1850)

Rank 5/FIRE

2 Level 5 Monsters

As long as this card remains face-up on the field: Your opponent cannot select another monster you control as n attack target. Once per turn; You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to destroy all cards on your opponent's side of the field, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of cards destroyed by this effect x400. If you activate this effect: This card cannot attack or activate its effect until your 2nd End Phase after this card activates its effect.

**Static's Cards**

Stormy Graveyard

Spell/Field

When a Zombie- or Thunder-type monster you control is summoned; You can select 1 card in your Graveyard and return that card to your Deck.

Voltic Gravelord Shocktrooper

Zombie/Effect (ATK 1900 DEF 1500)

Level 4/DARK

When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Volitc Gravelord" monster from your Deck.

Voltic Gravelord Lightning Rod

Thunder/Effect (ATK 0 DEF 1800)

Level 4/DARK

As long as this card remains face-up on the field, your opponent cannot select another card as a target for an attack or a card effect.

Voltic Gravelord Attack Hound

Zombie/Effect (ATK 1700 DEF 1100)

Level 4/DARK

If you control another "Voltic Gravelord" monster: This card can attack twice per Battle Phase.

Wrath of the Voltic Gravelords

Spell

Look at the top 2 cards of your Deck. For each Zombie- or Thunder-type monster revealed by this effect: Increase the ATK of one "Voltic Gravelord" monster you control by 700 until the End Phase.

Voltic Gravelord Undead Dragon

Dragon/Xyz/Effect (ATK 3000 DEF 2100)

Rank 4/DARK

3 Level 4 "Voltic Gravelord" Monsters

This card is also treated as a Zombie- and Thunder-type monster. If you control a face-up Zombie- or Thunder-type monster other than this card: You can attach that monster to this card as a Xyz Material Monster. Once per turn; You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to activate one of two effects: *Decrease the attack of all non-Zombie-, Thunder- and Machine-type monsters on the field by 500. *All Zombie- and Thunder-type monsters you control cannot be destroyed as a result of battle during your Battle Phase and any Battle Damage inflicted to the controller of this card from battles involving those monsters is reduced to 0.


	9. Chapter 9: Sophie Revealed

**The next chapter is done. I feel like my last chapter was kind of rushed at the end and had a few holes in it. I tried my best to write this chapter, which will reveal a fair bit. Anyway, I hope you enjoy... and please review!**

* * *

In the school's infirmary, Karina was sitting next to a bed in which Static was lying on unconscious. Static had gauze wrapped around the arm that was almost cut off by one of Ryu's swords. She had a concerned looked on her face as she saw him breathing heavily and sweating in the middle of his sleep.

"This always happens to him when he falls asleep." Karina muttered. "I wonder what he dreams about that's so painful."

Spiral then entered the room.

"Excuse me, can I come in?" Spiral asked as he took a seat next to Karina. "How is he doing?"

"If you just mean his arm, he'll be fine." Karina answered. "We were lucky to reattach the nerves before it was too late. The nurse told him to stay put, but he wanted to get revenge on Ryu as soon as possible. So they put him to sleep."

"I'm sorry for what happened to your friend." Spiral gave his condolences.

"There's no need for you to apologize." Karina told him. "But putting Static to sleep is incredibly painful for him."

"Why is that?" Spiral asked.

"Each time he falls asleep, it appears he suffers from some sort of nightmare." Karina stated. "I wish I knew what it was, but I wasn't where I was when I found him, he'd probably be experiencing that nightmare for the rest of eternity."

"I don't entirely understand." Spiral said.

"It was a few years ago on one of my treasure hunting expeditions." Karina started. "I was told there was an abandoned laboratory somewhere in the middle of the Pacific where superhuman potential was being researched. When I found it, the whole place was overrun with vegetation and all of the machines were completely off or obsolete... except for a few cryogenic stasis pods. I found Static inside one of those pods and after I took him out, which led to him almost killing me, he said he was grateful to me for freeing him and chose to be my protector until the day I die. And I think there was a bit more to it than that. The first time he fell asleep, he looked just like he does now: sweaty, out of breath and muttering something. To this day, I still don't know what he dreams about and why it makes it so painful for him to sleep."

"Wait, you said you found him in that lab." Spiral brought up. "Is that where he got that ability to control electricity?"

"It's very likely that he did." Karina answered.

"What I don't understand is that Omicron was a robot and he 'died'." Spiral said. "Couldn't we just have Shroud and Eve rebuild him?"

"The AI that resided within that machine was who Omicron was." Karina stated. "And when his head was removed, his body short-circuited and destroyed the AI within. It was a failsafe mechanism that was designed to prevent the AI construct from being used for nefarious purposes. It was why I stole him in the first place. The only reason I steal some of the things I steal is because I don't wish for them to fall into the wrong hands. You could call me... a thief who only steals from other thieves, the wicked and those without any ownership."

"I think I get it." Spiral said. "... We both want to stop the Prophets for our own reasons and your friend here is a very strong Duelist. I experienced that firsthand."

"I'm still surprised you managed to defeat him." Karina said.

"Anyway, maybe you two could join our group." Spiral requested. "You don't have to become students here. I think you'd stay here until something regarding the Prophets comes up. What do you say? Want to team up?"

Spiral extended his hand, preparing for a handshake, and Karina just looked at his hand for a moment.

"... For now." Karina replied as she shook Spiral's hand.

* * *

Meanwhile at an undisclosed location, a group of white-cloaked people had finished making the final adjustments to the time machine they stole from Shroud and Eve. Ryu walked up to them and they all kneeled before him.

"Grandmaster Ryu, the preparations are complete." One of the workers informed. "We are ready for you to give the word."

"Start it up." Ryu ordered. "As for the destination, it doesn't matter."

"I don't mean to question your ideas, Grandmaster, but what is your primary directive in this?" The worker asked.

"The road between." Ryu simply answered.

The time machine then started up and the rainbow light appeared within the gate and Ryu took the return device and entered the time gate.

* * *

Ryu was standing in the middle of the time stream, waiting for something.

*My followers should be chasing that girl right about now.* Ryu thought. *She should be appearing right... about... now.*

Out of nowhere, Sophie appeared and noticed Ryu standing right in front of her.

"Nowhere to run, little girl." Ryu said as she grabbed onto Sophie's head. "Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you. At least not yet. I have an image to uphold and a following whose morale I can increase. Which is why your death... will be an execution."

The look on Sophie's face turned from surprise to fear.

* * *

A few hours later at Tokyo U, all of the television sets turned on throughout the campus. In fact, every television set in the world had mysteriously turned on. On the screen was a stage with an audience of thousands of white-cloaked people. Actually, the stage looked more like a gallows and Ryu was on the gallows with Sophie standing on a wooden stool with a noose wrapped around her neck. In Tokyo U's student lounge, everyone was watching the television set as Spiral walked in. To say that Spiral was surprised to see Sophie on that television screen would be putting things very mildly.

"Wait, is that..." Spiral gasped.

* * *

"People of the world, I am Grandmaster of the Prophets." Ryu announced to the camera. "I interrupt your dull, meaningless lives to give you all an important message. Anyone who attempts to interfere with our goals will meet the same fate as this girl right here."

"YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH!" The crowd surrounding the gallows cheered.

* * *

Back at the Academy...

"Isn't that the girl I met at the Culture Festival? !" Asuka asked to no one in particular.

Spiral immediately ran out of the lounge.

"Spiral, where are you going?" Asuka asked him.

Spiral ran out of the school and kept running toward the city.

*I can't let her die!* Spiral thought. *I can't let anyone die! Not again! ... Wait, where the hell am I going? !*

* * *

"Why are you doing this to me? !" Sophie demanded to know. "I didn't do anything to interfere with any of you!"

"No, you didn't." Ryu simply said. "But you do pose a threat, don't you..." Ryu then removed his microphone and clenched it to prevent anyone from hearing what he was about to say. "... Sophie Griffan?"

Sophie's eyes widened when she heard that name. "H... How did you..."

"Let's just say... I saw it in a vision." Ryu simply told her before putting the microphone back on.

Ryu then prepared to kick away the stool that Sophie was standing on. Sophie closed her eyes as she thought she was about to die.

SNIP!

Sophie fell, but she hit the ground and the rope wasn't suffocating her. She opened her eyes and saw that someone had cut the rope. That someone was a girl with long dark violet hair wearing a white T-shirt and black jeans and she was holding a sword which she then dropped and let go of.

"SOPHIE, RUN!" The girl shouted as she grabbed Sophie and ran off at a blisteringly fast speed.

Ryu's expression did not change from this unexpected turn of events. "Subjects, after them!"

All of the white-cloaked people in the audience ran off to chase after the two girls. Ryu simply remained on the gallows.

"Meddlesome brat." Ryu mumbled. "And turn that camera off! After that mishap, the world will think of us as nothing but a laughing stock... but they won't be laughing for long."

* * *

The girl kept running down an alley, holding onto Sophie without a hint of letting go.

"Why did you enter the time machine and come here?" Sophie asked.

"You left the gate open and I saw that guy grab you in the time stream." The girl answered. "When I saw that, I had no choice but to jump in."

"Are you crazy? !" Sophie questioned. "What if you went into the wrong time or place? You wouldn't be able to return and we both could be dead!"

"Hey, your life was in danger!" The girl pointed out. "My father never leaves anyone behind and neither do I!"

Sophie then looks behind them. "Uh, they're chasing us!"

The girl looks behind and sees that a massive mob of white-cloaked people was chasing them.

"Damn it! Why can't they just leave us alone? !" The girl asked.

The girls kept running through several alleyways, hoping that the mob would get tired and stop following them, but that didn't appear to be any time soon.

"Don't these people ever get tired?" Sophie questioned as she started panting heavily. "They should have been out of breath quite a ways back."

The two girls were starting to lose their breaths and this caused the girl leading to trip and fall over, which caused Sophie to trip and fall over too.

"We've got you now!" One person in the mob shouted.

Then someone jumped from a nearby rooftop and landed right on top of a person in the front of the mob.

"Man, if it weren't for your shouting, I would never have found that girl." Someone said. The person stood up and was revealed to be Spiral. "Lucky for me that girl managed to escape or else I don't think I would have made it in time."

"It's him." Sophie said, then turned to the other girl who seemed to be in a state of shock.

"I... I don't believe it..." The girl mumbled.

"You girls better get going." Spiral told them. "I'll hold these guys off while you focus on gaining some distance from them."

"But there are too many of them!" Sophie pointed out.

"Don't worry about me." Spiral said. "Just go. Save yourselves. I'm prepared to die if I have to."

"NO!" The girl yelled. "YOU CAN'T DIE YET! I-"

"Don't say anything!" Sophie interrupted her. "Let's just go!"

"No, I can't leave him!" The girl argued.

"Man, I finally caught up with you." A girl's voice came from behind the girls.

Everyone looked to that direction and saw that Asuka had come by, cracking her knuckles.

"You ran off without so much as a word so quickly, I couldn't help but get suspicious." Asuka said. "You're so much faster than me, I had a hard time keeping up."

"Asuka, mind if you lend me a hand here?" Spiral asked.

"Not at all." Asuka answered as she cracked her neck.

Spiral and Asuka managed to singlehandedly knock out every single one of the white cloaks, much to the surprise of Sophie and her friend.

"Whew, that was boring." Asuka said as she stretched.

"No kidding." Spiral agreed. "Kicking those guys' asses was too easy."

*That was easy for them? !* Sophie thought in disbelief.

"Are you girls okay?" Spiral asked.

"Um, yes. Thank you." Sophie said.

"Hey, aren't you the girl that I hang out with at the culture festival?" Asuka asked.

"Yes, that was me." Sophie replied.

"Wait, that was her?" Spiral asked. "She was the one who helped me get back here after Shroud sent me back in time." Spiral then looks at the other girl. "Is your friend a time traveler, too?"

"Uh... sort of." The other girl answered. "When I saw that Sophie was in trouble, I just had to rush in to help her. I kind of get that from my dad."

"He sounds like a good person." Spiral said. "Anyway, what's your name?"

"It's _Valerie _(Age 12)... Crap!" The girl named Valerie exclaimed. "I shouldn't have said that!"

"Why not?" Asuka asked.

"Uh... it's nothing." Valerie seemed to have shrugged off whatever she was feeling. "Nothing at all."

"Listen, those guys are bound to keep chasing after you." Spiral said. "Why not hide out at the Academy? We're already hiding two master thieves at the school anyway."

"Why do you call them master thieves?" Asuka asked.

"Because master thieves only steal from other thieves." Spiral stated. "It's a little something I learned from Sly Cooper."

"Uuggnnn..."

They all looked over and saw one of the white-cloaked guys they beat up regaining consciousness. Asuka walked over to him, grabbed him by the neck of his collar and pressed him against the wall.

"Tell us all about these Prophet assholes or I'll crush your dick to dust!" Asuka threatened.

"You don't... have the balls..." The guy said.

"Pretty soon you won't!" Asuka growled as she started to inflict pain on the man.

"Owowowow! Okay! I'll talk! I'll talk!" The man shouted.

"Why are you guys after these girls?" Spiral interrogated.

"We only want the one with the pigtails." The man told them. "The Grandmaster said that she posed a serious threat to our plan, so he wanted to publicly execute her to make a point to anyone or anything that dares to get in the way of that plan."

"And what plan is that?" Spiral questioned further.

"... To create a new world." The man answered. "The Grandmaster told us that in order to create this new world, we would need to offer him souls... human souls."

"So that's what's been going on." Spiral said. "The recent disappearances associated with the Prophets. Your hunting and collecting human souls so he can absorb them. What the hell is this Ryu anyway?"

"I'm not sure myself." The man responded. "Although I will say his power is almost godlike. That much a grunt knows. If you want to figure that out, you'll need to ask one of the Arcana, but attempting to do so will only lead to your deaths."

"Arcana?" Spiral asked.

"There are only two ranks in the Prophets." The man told them. "At the bottom is us grunts, who are assigned to a particular member of the Arcana, the most powerful members of the Prophets. You'll be able to recognize them by a tattoo of a roman numeral emblazoned somewhere on their body. Those numbers run from I to XXI and the higher the number, the more powerful they are. Grandmaster Ryu is one of the Arcana himself and he's our leader because his number is XXI, the highest number possible. Strangely, no one can rise to the ranks of Arcana at all."

"I don't get what you just said at the end there." Spiral stated.

"The tattoo I mentioned..." The man started. "It's something that the person is born with or given to that person. The Prophets don't give them out to a person they deem worthy. How can I put this? ... Remember that one Turbo Dueling team, Team 5Ds? The Grandmaster told us that each of their members bore a red mark on their wrists that was given to them by a higher being referred to as the Crimson Dragon. The tattoos of the Arcana aren't that different. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"I think we got as much information out of you as we can right now." Spiral answered. "Thank you for being so cooperative."

The man then pulls out a knife from his pocket and stabs himself in the side of the neck. He quickly dies and Asuka dropped him, his body falling to the ground.

"What the hell was that all about?" Asuka asked.

"... Hey... do you hear that?" Sophie asked.

Everyone listened carefully and heard a faint beeping sound.

Asuka ripped open the man's cloak and saw that there was a device strapped to his chest.

"It's a bomb!" Sophie shouted. "Out of the way!" Sophie quickly ran to the dead body and started fiddling with the bomb. It took several tense seconds until Sophie stopped fiddling with the wires and the bomb stopped beeping. "Whew, that was close. Good thing these things are outdated back in my time."

"So... that means you come from the future?" Spiral asked.

"... Yes, I do." Sophie reluctantly answered. "That bomb was designed to activate a timed explosion when his heart rate stopped, likely to prevent any vital information from leaking out."

"Does that mean your friend here is from the future as well?" Asuka asked as she turned to Valerie.

"Yes, we both come from the same time." Valerie stated.

"How'd you disarm the bomb so fast?" Spiral asked Sophie.

"Sophie has what you'd call a beautiful mind." Valerie told them. "Back in our time, she graduated from the world's most prestigious Duel Academy at the age of 10. And her IQ scores state that her mind is beyond genius."

"That would explain how she beat me so soundly." Spiral said.

"When did you two Duel?" Asuka asked.

"In the time stream, before I came back after Shroud stranded me in the past." Spiral answered. "Well, we should probably get going. We wouldn't want the rest of these guys to wake up and activate their bombs all at once."

The four of them started to walk away from the spot and headed back to the Academy. As they were walking, Valerie noticed that Sophie was looking down.

"What's wrong, Sophie?" Valerie asked.

"Huh?" Sophie responded as if she was in some sort of daze. "N-no, I'm-I'm fine."

* * *

Meanwhile, Kokoro was walking down towards the school's entrance, leaving the school for the day.

*I can't believe what Naoto said earlier* She thought.

_(Begin Flashback)_

_Earlier that day, Naoto and Kokoro were having lunch in their homeroom._

_"Hey, Kokoro, I've been wondering what kind of places you like going to." Naoto expressed._

_"Well... there is one place I've always wanted to go." Kokoro said._

_"What's that?" Naoto asked. "It's not someplace far like Africa, is it?"_

_"No, it's local." Kokoro assured him. "You know the annual Tokyo Water Light Show over at Tokyo Bay?"_

_"Oh, yeah." Naoto responded. "People I know who have seen that say that it's one of the most beautiful sights they've ever seen."_

_"Unfortunately, I grew up in a poor family and we couldn't afford such luxuries." Kokoro told him. "Sometimes, I would see the lights from my home, but I never got a good look at them. But even with that bad view, they seemed to be so beautiful. I hope that one day I can see those lights in their full splendor, the way they deserve to be seen."_

_"... I'll get them for you."_

_"Huh?"_

_"I'll get us tickets to the Water Light Show. I don't care how much it costs or how long it will take me, you deserve to see that show. I promise."_

_Kokoro didn't know how to respond to Naoto's determination at this moment._

_(End Flashback)_

*He was willing to give up anything just so I could be happy.* Kokoro continued thinking. *... He's so nice... I don't deserve him...*

Kokoro clenched her hand as she continued walking.

* * *

Spiral and Asuka had taken Sophie and Valerie to the principal's office, with their other friends, except for Naoto and Kokoro, in the room with them.

"So this girl is why they took our time machine?" Eve asked.

"But why the public execution?" Shroud questioned. "Why not just kill her on the spot?"

"Seriously, Shroud, don't you understand the concept of terrorism?" Eve asked.

Pulse then walked up to Sophie. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Wait, you know Spiral's mom?" Momo asked.

"It's a long story." Sophie told them.

"Spiral, you don't seem the least bit surprised by this." Momo stated.

"Yeah, she told me this while we were in the time stream." Spiral told her.

"How far in the future do you two come from?" Aura asked.

"Should we tell them?" Valerie asked Sophie.

"No." Sophie answered. "We went over this. If we divulge which time period we come from, there's a chance that it could cause our time to cease its existence."

"That seems unlikely." Valerie stated.

"Well, there's still a chance that could happen." Sophie stated.

"If you don't want to tell us, that's fine." Hikari spoke. "But do you have any ideas why they wanted you dead in the first place?"

"I was watching the broadcast and Ryu said that you posed a threat." Pulse said. "But why is the question that needs answering."

"Who would think someone this cute could be a threat?" Lilith asked as she pinched Sophie's cheek. "I mean, look at her. She's the epitome of adorable... What does 'epitome' mean anyway? I heard on that thing you call a television."

"You're hurting me." Sophie said to Lilith.

"I can't help it! You're just so darn cute!" Lilith squealed. "I just wanna snuggle you until you pop!"

"Please don't hug me then." Sophie said.

"Can we please get back to more important matters?" Shroud asked.

Lilith let go of Sophie's cheek and stepped back away from her.

"Lilith does bring up a point though." Valerie said. "There shouldn't be any reason someone would want Sophie dead."

"Wait, how did you know her name?" Asuka asked. "We never introduced ourselves."

"Dah, oh crap!" Valerie muttered.

"You clearly know something, so you might as well tell us right now." Shroud demanded.

"I don't want to." Valerie said.

"Tell us or I'll take you back to the Prophets!" Shroud ordered.

"Shroud, leave her alone!" Spiral shouted. "And that's way too harsh! We can't take her back there! They'll kill her!"

"What if she's a spy?" Shroud asked.

"They can't be... because they should already have one here." Eve stated.

"What are you talking about?" Azusa asked.

"The only people we've ever told about the time machine and the return device is with you guy, including Naoto and Kokoro." Eve explained. "Also, Shroud and I were extra careful in insuring that no information on our inventions could get out. Which leaves only one logical explanation... The spy... is one of us."

The whole room fell silent at the mere mention of that.

"Who do you think could possibly be this spy?" Pulse asked.

"Well, we can rule out myself and Shroud." Eve replied. "Which leaves Spiral, Momo, Naoto, Aura, Asuka, Hikari, Chan, Chun, Lilith, Takashi, Azusa and Kokoro. A total of 12 remaining suspects. We also shouldn't rule out the possibility that we have more than one spy in our midst."

"Hang on! Hang on!" Spiral interjected. "Shroud, do you have a lie-detector?"

"Why yes, I do." Shroud answered.

"Bring that in here and we can sort this all out." Spiral said. "I just hope your theory proves incorrect."

* * *

At the Prophets' Headquarters at an undisclosed location, Ryu had entered a large, spacious room with only a large round table sitting in the center. There were 21 chairs sitting at the table, 20 of them normal sized and the 21st slightly larger than the others, with 20 people wearing white cloaks sitting in the smaller chairs. Ryu took a seat in the larger chair.

"My fellow Arcana..." Ryu began. "Let us recap today's events. Although we have managed to capture the girl, it appears one of her friends used her time machine in an attempt to save her. And at the worst possible timing. This was our moment to strike fear into the hearts all over the world, but that accident has turned the name of the Prophets into a laughing stock. Our followers attempted to pursue the girls, but it seems that another group has interfered. It might sound like things have gotten worse, but in actuality, this is the bright side. You see, based on the information given by one of our followers who have fallen, the people I want hunted down a day ago are said group. Meaning that two goals have coincided: Our goals to recapture the girl and to eliminate those particular people. What also helps to keep the scales in our favor is that we know the location of this group and we already have an agent within their ranks. That agent must figure out where exactly they are keeping those two girls. You will figure that out, won't you..."

Ryu looks toward the person sitting in the chair sixth from his left.

"Kokoro?" Ryu asked.

The person lifted her hood and revealed herself as Kokoro.

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Cassandra Lee **Sophie**

Lisa Ortiz **Valerie**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Jamie Marchi **Karina**

Kate Higgins **Pulse**

Paul St. Peter **Ryu**

* * *

**Preview**

**Kokoro:** The mission Grandmaster Ryu gave me was to spy on Spiral and his friends, posing as Naoto's girlfriend, to discover the whereabouts of the missing girls. But... why am I so reluctant to carry out this mission? These are the people who took me in when I had no home. I don't wish to disobey orders, but why do I have these strange feelings? Next time on Arcana of Fate, Guilt.

**spiralgamer:** Also due to the seriousness the plot is currently taking, the twins' Comedy Corner will return next chapter.

**Chan:** What? ! Again? !

**Chun:** Knock that off!


	10. Chapter 10: Guilt

**Here is the next chapter! And shoutout to lordsoftheRoses for assisting me in writing a part of this chapter. Now, before you start reading, I should mention that there is a character in here with the same name as an existing Yu-Gi-Oh! character and would like to point out that they are very different people, which the age might give away. I would also like to encourage more people to review, as any and all feedback you give me would be very much appreciated. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

*Prophets' Headquarters, Arcana Meeting Room*

The 21 members of the Prophets' Arcana were sitting at a large table, two of their members revealed as Ryu and Kokoro.

"Kokoro, you have managed to infiltrate Tokyo University Duel Academy and inform us of the development of the time machine." Ryu stated. "I originally intended for you to leave once we have obtained the time machine, but since they still don't know that you're a mole we can use you to uncover the whereabouts of the two girls."

"I understand, Grandmaster Ryu." Kokoro slightly bowed in her seat.

"You may be excused." Ryu told Kokoro.

Kokoro got up and started to leave the room, overhearing their conversation.

"Now with that out of the way, let's focus on our other problem." Ryu told the others. "We need another way to strike fear into the world, which I have devised should the girl's execution fail."

Kokoro listened intently to the conversation as she walked out and something was said that caused her eyes to widen.

* * *

Kokoro had returned to her room, which had a pink, large royal bed.

*How could they do such things?* Kokoro thought. *I thought the goal of the Prophets was to create a better world.*

Kokoro removed her white cloak, which had her school uniform underneath, and then took off her school uniform and proceed to her bath.

*But why are they killing innocent people just for the sake of it?* Kokoro continued thinking. *Executing people? Striking fear into the world? When I first joined the Prophets a couple of months ago, I never thought they would do anything like this. But... now I'm not so sure... I know these people took me in and improved my physical appearance... I just don't know what I want to do...*

Bloop-ba-ring!

Kokoro noticed that she got a text message on her cell phone. She reached for it and checked the new message.

"Naoto..." Kokoro read the text.

The text message said: 'It wasn't easy but I got the tickets. You're finally going to see Tokyo Water Light Show.'

Kokoro smiled and started to tear up.

"N... nobody... has ever done that for me before..." Kokoro sobbed a bit. "Naoto... he's such a wonderful guy..."

* * *

Back at Tokyo University's principal's office, Shroud and Eve had finished the lie-detector test on almost everyone.

"Well, it appears that the liar isn't any of us here." Eve stated.

"Shroud, did you seriously have to threaten to cut off my crown jewels?" Takashi questioned.

"I think we would all benefit if you lost all sexual desire." Shroud responded. "Sexual desire is a burden on the entire human race. Just look at all the sexually-transmitted diseases that exist."

"But people wouldn't want to have kids if the process of making them was painful." Momo pointed out. "Then the world's population would drop."

"... My point." Shroud rebutted.

"Okay, so if the mole isn't any of us, then it's either Naoto or... Kokoro." Spiral said. "And I know Naoto too well so he can't be the spy, which might mean that she's working for the Prophets."

"Oh, man, that's going to devastate him." Hikari looked down.

"Hold on, maybe she isn't." Azusa said. "For all we know, there might not be a spy at all!"

"Let's hope." Aura spoke.

"Well, she left for home hours ago so we'll have to wait until tomorrow to figure this out." Spiral stated.

* * *

Back at the Prophets' Headquarters in Kokoro's room, Kokoro was lying in her bed wearing a white robe and holding her head.

*I feel... I can't describe it...* Kokoro thought. *My mind is telling me to repay my debt to the Prophets, but my heart is telling me otherwise... I don't know what to do!*

The door to her room opened.

"Kokoro, I came to see you before I head out." A woman's voice said.

Kokoro looked at the woman, who had removed her hood to reveal her long, bluish green hair.

"Oh... hey, _Morgan _(Age 25)." Kokoro greeted her.

"Why so down?" Morgan asked as she took a seat next to him.

"... I'm just... a little confused is all." Kokoro responded.

"Did that guy you're pretending to date pressure you into something?" Morgan asked. "That shouldn't be surprising. After all, I was the one who told you that men always want sex. Maybe you can use that to your advantage in getting information out of him."

"N... No." Kokoro answered. "He hasn't pressured me at all."

"Well, he'll do it eventually." Morgan stated. "And when he does, that's your chance to figure out where those two girls are. Well, I just wanted to see you before I head out."

Morgan got up and started walking toward the door.

"Morgan..." Kokoro spoke up. "You did so much for me. You gave me a home, you helped to make me attractive..."

"Yep, and none of those improvements are fake." Morgan said. "Those big breasts of yours... they're the real deal."

"It's just... thank you for everything you've done for me..." Kokoro said.

Morgan then left the room.

"... Foolish girl, I know what's really going on..." Morgan muttered as she walked down the hallway.

* * *

In another room at Prophets' Headquarters, Ryu was standing in front of two women wearing white cloaks who were kneeling before him. One of them was the red-haired woman Spiral saw the other day and the other woman had short dark blue hair.

"You wished to see us, Grandmaster Ryu?" The blue-haired girl asked.

"Yes." Ryu answered. "I have an important task for you two, because both of you are the most powerful members of the Arcana. Once Kokoro has discovered the exact location of the two girls, there are a few other targets that need to be eliminated. I took the liberty of confiscating one of Tokyo University's yearbooks from the previous year. I have bookmarked our targets in there."

"If they're students of Tokyo University, shouldn't they be there?" The blue-haired girl asked. "Which means all students there are enemies of the Prophets. We should just go to that school, kill everyone there and take their souls."

"Patience, _Luna_(Age 20)." Ryu told her. "We don't know for certain that the girls are at the Academy and there's also the possibility that there are only a handful of students affiliated with the ones that helped those girls escape. I prefer to avoid unnecessary bloodshed."

"You call murdering an important world figure necessary?" The red-haired girl asked.

"_Blaise_(Age 20), we need to insure that no one interferes with our goals." Ryu stated. "You took necessary risks when you were in the pro circuits, did you not?"

"Is he one of the targets?" The blue-haired girl named Luna asked as she pointed to one of the pictures.

The picture was of Spiral and the red-haired Blaise's eyes widened when she saw that picture.

"Is something wrong, Blaise?" Ryu asked.

"It's not important." Blaise told him.

"Most people would shrug it off." Ryu stated. "I, on the other hand, consider every detail important. So you might as well tell me."

Blaise glares at Ryu as he coldly stared back at her.

"... I've just never killed a child." Blaise said. "That's all."

"... I see." Ryu responded. "I can understand how that would make most people uneasy."

* * *

Later that night, it was very late (around 1 in the morning) and Blaise, unable to sleep, was walking down the halls of the headquarters, which at this hour were empty.

*That boy... Spiral...* Blaise thought. *And Momo... I never thought I'd see them again. Although I wish I could reunite with them under less dire circumstances. It must have been 5 years since that day...*

Blaise then heard the sound of a door opening and saw Kokoro leaving her bedroom, wearing a blue shirt and black pants and carrying a large bag.

"Kokoro, where are you going?" Blaise asked.

"Ah! B-Blaise!" Kokoro stuttered. "I'm just... uh..."

Blaise took a closer look at the bag. "That bag seems pretty large. Are you running away?"

"'Running away'?" Kokoro questioned. "Why would I abandon the people that took me in?"

"... It's okay, you don't need to lie to me." Blaise said. "As far as the others know, I just saw you leaving with a bag."

"Blaise... yes, I'm planning on leaving the Prophets." Kokoro stated. "I don't like what they're doing. I know that in life, you have to make sacrifices sometimes, but you shouldn't sacrifice people's lives for it."

"... I agree." Blaise expressed. "I'm beginning to question the motives of the Prophets as well."

"... Then why don't you come with me?" Kokoro asked. "With someone as strong as you gone, the Prophets could crumble."

"If only I could." Blaise responded. "If I were to leave with you, Luna would go berserk and likely attack the University, killing everyone there and taking their souls. I'm the only one who can keep that leash on her and trust me, you don't want to see her when she's on a rampage. I wish I could tell you, but if we continue to stay here and talk, there will be suspicions. Just please, go now."

"Thank you, Blaise." Kokoro bowed as she quietly walked down the hallway.

"... Please, be careful." Blaise mutters as she turns around and walks away.

* * *

Back in the boys' dorm room, everyone was asleep in their beds.

BRRRRRR! BRRRRRR!

Naoto woke up and reached for something under his pillow. He pulled out his cell phone, which he had set on vibrate, and checked the text message he received. Naoto got out of his bed and went into the hallway. He was surprised to see who was there.

"Kokoro? What are you doing here?" Naoto asked, finally awake.

"I... ran away from home." Kokoro answered. "I know this is the boys' dorm, but I didn't know who else to turn to. Can I talk to you... alone for a moment?"

"Oh, uh, sure." Naoto responded.

Naoto closed the door behind him.

"Listen... I haven't been entirely honest with you since we met." Kokoro told him. "And it's... I don't know if I can say it."

"Why not?" Naoto asked.

"I just... I don't know how you'll take it." Kokoro responded.

"It's okay." Naoto said. "You can tell me."

"Okay..." Kokoro said before taking a long, deep breath and trying to maintain a solid composure. "... The truth is... I am a member of the Prophets and I was sent to be your girlfriend so I could spy on you guys and inform them about the progress on the time machine. But... I defected from them. I'm SO sorry I've been lying to you this whole time!"

"You... You're joking... right?" Naoto asked, clenching his fists. "'Cause if this is a joke, it's not funny."

"... I wish I was." Kokoro looked down.

"... So all this time... you were just pretending to like me?" Naoto asked. "Heh, I should have known better."

"Naoto-"

"DON'T TALK TO ME!" Naoto yelled. "You used me! You humiliated me! I don't ever want to see you again!"

"But Naoto-"

"JUST LEAVE!"

Kokoro hesitantly ran away as Naoto went back into his room and slammed the door. The sound of the door slamming woke up Spiral and Shroud from their slumber.

"Whada!" Spiral exclaimed as he burst out of his sleep. "Naoto, why'd you slam the door like that?"

"... She lied to me this whole time." Naoto mumbled.

"Huh?" Spiral said.

"Kokoro only went out with me in the first place so she could spy on us." Naoto told them.

"... I'm sorry, Naoto." Spiral said.

"Just... don't talk to me for a while." Naoto said. "I'm going for a walk."

Naoto walks out of the room and slams the door again.

* * *

Naoto continued to walk around for an hour or so. Fury, sadness, confusion, optimism, pain. He felt the waves of emotions hitting him all at once.

He kept repeating the same thing to himself over and over again trying to make sense of it. "I don't...why did I yell at her? Why did she betray us-WHY!" Naoto threw a punch and hit a tree square in the trunk. He realized he was now in the park in the middle of the city and his fist hurt like hell from hitting the tree.

"Damn it!" Naoto shouted to vent his frustration. "This SUUUUUUCKS!"

"Naoto?"

Naoto turned his head around and saw Ms. Krystal, wearing a short black dress that women would wear for clubbing. He quickly turned away so she wouldn't see him crying and try'd to run away.

"HOLD IT!" Ms. Krystal shouted. The fierce tone of her voice forced Naoto to freeze in his tracks. Ms. Krystal caught up to him, placed her hands on his shoulders and made sure he faced her. "What's the matter, Naoto?"

Naoto turned his head away to avoid ey-

"Look at me." Ms. Krystal demanded. Naoto turned his head back to face her. "Tell me what happened."

"It's...Kokoro." Naoto said.

Ms. Krystal sighed. "Ahhh, I see. Love troubles?" Ms. Krystal let go of Naoto's shoulders and sat down on on a nearby park bench. "Have a seat and tell me all about it."

She patted the bench seat and Naoto reluctantly sat down next to her.

"So what happened between you and Kokoro?" Ms. Krystal asked.

"She...lied to me..." Naoto answered.

Ms. Krystal turned her body on the bench to have a more open conversation with him. "Oh, about what?" she asked.

Naoto tried to keeps his eyes away from Ms. Krystal's impressive cleavage by keeping his head down. "...I can't say." he answered.

"Okay, I see. Did her lie make you upset?"

"Of course!" Naoto said. He snapped his head up and turned to her. "Why wouldn't it?"

"You wouldn't if you didn't care about her." Ms. Krystal responded still calm. "Your raging emotions here show that you do care for her."

"Yeah..but..."

"Look you just need to talk to her." Ms. Krystal said. "Let her know that her lie hurt you, but also why it hurt you. Then listen to what she has to say. If you really care about her, this is the least you can do. You might not get back together, but you won't know unless you talk it out."

"Ms Krystal..." Naoto tried to speak. "...It's...more complicated then you think."

Ms. Krystal nodded. "It's another girl isn't it?" she asked.

Naoto blushed at the very mention. "Wh-w-what?"

"You don't want to get close to Kokoro because there is another girl you have feelings for."

Naoto quickly shook his head. "No-no-no...maybe." he said as his lips twitched with every word.

"I knew it." Ms. Krystal said with a smirk. "Who is she?"

Naoto blushed and looked down. "Well...she's in the classroom...she's very beautiful-most beautiful woman I've ever seen...and I look at her every day."

"Why don't you ever talk to her?" Ms. Krystal asked.

"I do...but she's out of my league...and...she'd never acknowledge me as someone worthy to date."

"Then forget about her." Ms. Krystal said. "If she's not going to acknowledge what a great guy you are, then she is not worth it. You are a very sweet, very cute, very caring young man and any girl would love to have you."

"You...you really think I'm cute?" Naoto asked.

"Of course." Ms. Krystal said. "I know Kokoro thinks so too."

Naoto's smile disappeared as he looked back down. Ms. Krystal sighed.

"All right." Ms. Krystal said. "I'll make you a deal. You talk with Kokoro and try to work things out. If you can't...I'll give you a private flash show."

Naoto turned back to her, his face as red as a cherry and tried to speak, however his voice was so high-pitched no one could hear it.

"Do we have a deal?" Ms. Krystal asked holding out her hand.

Naoto nodded and shook her hand, accepting the deal.

*Should've just started with that.* Ms. Krystal thought to herself.

As Ms. Krystal left, Naoto pulled out his cell phone and tried to text Kokoro 'Where are you?'.

* * *

Kokoro was waiting at a 24-hour coffee shop, sitting at a table with her large bag next to her. She just stared at her cup of coffee, not taking a single sip. Eventually, the door opened and Kokoro looked over to see that Naoto had entered and taken a seat at the table she was sitting at.

"... Kokoro... I'm sorry, about the way I acted." Naoto apologized. "I behaved like such a jackass because I thought I finally found someone I could be with, but then it turned out you were only using me."

"... I was pretending... at first." Kokoro said. "I realized what a great guy you are and you deserve better. And I wasn't lying about leaving the Prophets. How they operate and achieve their goals... I don't want to be involved in any of that. Also... I didn't want to lie to you anymore. From now on, I won't keep anything from you."

"Promise?" Naoto asked.

"Promise." Kokoro nodded.

The two of them hugged each other.

"This might sound personal, but why did you join the Prophets in the first place?" Naoto asked.

"Well, about a year ago, before I looked like how I do now, there was this boy I used to have a crush on. It took me so long to muster up the courage to ask him out and when I finally did... He said, 'Are you crazy? Why would I go out with someone average like you?'."

"That's terrible."

"Words couldn't describe how much I cried for the next few days. I was so upset, I even thought about killing myself. But then... someone came into my life. She said that she could help me look better to attract men. And all I would have to do in return was to join the Prophets."

"Do you think they'll notice you're gone?"

"I knew from the start that they'd certainly notice I'm gone by the morning. Not simply because I'm a spy, but because I am one of the Arcana."

"Wow, I didn't realize you were high up in their chain."

"Actually, I'm not one of the high-ranking members at all."

"Why's that?" Naoto asked.

Kokoro looked around the shop and dragged Naoto to the small hallway where the restrooms were, right into the women's restroom.

"Why do we have to be in here for you to tell me?" Naoto questioned.

She then started to take her shirt off, which made Naoto turn red a bit. However, that red went away somewhat when he noticed something on her body. Right between Kokoro's breasts, which were covered by her bra, was a 'VI' tattoo.

"That tattoo is the Roman numeral of 6." Kokoro stated as she put her shirt back on. "Meaning that out of the 21 Arcana, I am the sixth weakest."

"Why was that tattoo placed there?" Naoto asked as the two walked out of the restroom.

"I don't know exactly." Kokoro answered. "They aren't stamped onto your body when you enter the Prophets. Ryu says that a higher power grants us these marks because we are chosen by them."

"This Ryu sounds like a religious nutcase." Naoto said. "Anyway, I'm glad you chose to leave them."

"I may have owed a debt to them, but I don't regret leaving." Kokoro said. "I promise I'm going to help you protect everyone and those two girls as best as I can."

* * *

Back at the Prophets' Headquarters, Blaise continued walking down the hall until she reached a door which she opened quietly.

"Luna, are you in here?" Blaise asked. "I know you're not sleeping. You don't sleep much. Luna?"

Blaise continued to search the room, but there were no signs of anyone being in there.

"Where could she have gone?" Blaise wondered. "She doesn't usually leave her room at night... Oh no..."

Blaise quickly started running out of the room and through the hallway.

*Did she catch on to Kokoro's scent that quickly?* Blaise thought as she dashed through the halls. *I just hope I get to her before she tries to kill half of a district!*

* * *

Meanwhile in the streets of Tokyo, Spiral was walking around searching for Naoto.

"NAOTO? ! Hey, Naoto? !" Spiral tried to call out to him. "Where is he? I hope he didn't get attacked by some color gang... or the yakuza. No city is safe at night."

Suddenly, a green chain wrapped around Spiral's ankle and pulls him upward at a high speed. The chain pulled him along the side of the building as Spiral was upside down. When the chain stopped moving at an open window, a slender man wearing a black fedora hat and a simple black suit with a white shirt underneath, an open black jacket over the suit, black fingerless gloves and brown shoes, was pulling him by Spiral hair and toward him face-to-face.

"Hey, kid. Remember me?" The sinister man casually asked.

Words could not describe the fear Spiral was feeling right now.

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Paul St. Peter **Ryu**

Ali Hillis **Blaise**

Kate Oxley **Luna**

Stephanie Young **Morgan**

Wendee Lee **Krystal**

* * *

**Preview**

**spiralgamer:** I'm not sure exactly what I want to do in the next chapter, aside from the beginning that is, so I'll cut this preview short and tell you to tune in next time!

* * *

**Chan and Chun's Comedy Corner**

Chan and Chun appear on a stage next to a microphone.

**Chun: **Hey guys! We're back!

**Chan:** After streak of serious episodes, though why did we choose to do this right after a cliffhanger ending?

**Chun:** That gives a great idea for a joke! Ahem! Have any of you noticed how so many recent movies and games have cliffhanger endings? Seriously, they think they're so confident in their product or film that people are going to want a follow-up. If you ask me, I think their egos are bigger than their wallets.

**Chan:** ... That's not so funny.

**Chun:** Of course it isn't. I came up with it on the spot... I'm going to need more time to refine it.

**Chan:** Too late. You already told it and it was lame.

**Chun:** ... Well... at least I don't have a bat credit card from _Batman and Robin_.

**lordsoftheroses in audience:** NOOOOOO! DOES NOT COMPUTE! DOES! NOT! COMPUTE!

**Chan:** ... What's wrong with the guy?

**Chan:** I'd go berserk like that too if I were in his shoes.


	11. Chapter 11: With the Wolves

**Sorry if I kept you all waiting. I went to a convention in like the first week of June and the following week I spent time looking at all the new game news coming from E3 (PS4 over Xbox One, btw). I also got a summer cold that's getting kind of annoying. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

Spiral was being dangled by his leg by a chain, which was held by a man he had hoped not to ever see again.

*R... _Raza Umbra Anguis_!* Spiral remembered his name.

Several months ago, Raza and Spiral had a Duel in which Spiral had lost pretty badly. That's not the part that scared him though.

*Oh no!* Spiral thought.

_(Begin Flashback)_

_Now you," Raza turned his attention to Spiral. He walked over, garbed his shirt collar and lifted him up off the ground. "The time for games is over, kid. Don't say 'I don't treat this as a game' 'cause you do! I understand what is going through your head better than you do. You want come in, save everyone, catch the bad guy and be hero like in some stupid comic book...I respect that, but if you have that mind set lingering in the back of your mind, you will not win. Understand?...Now if I ever run across you or any of your stupid friends again, I will kill them, make you watch, and then kill you knowing that they died suffering, alright?"_

_(End Flashback)_

*This isn't good!* Spiral continued thinking. *Now he's going to kill my friends!*

"I'm so glad you remember me." Raza said. "You comfy? Need a chair? Warm cup of coffee? Or do you just want to 'hang around for a bit'?"

"What do you want?" Spiral asked.

"Well remember when I said if I ever saw you again, that I'd kill you and all your friends?" Raza asked. "Well I got bored and decided to see you so I can kill you all...NAAAH I'm just messing with ya."

"Then what is it?" Spiral asked.

"Circumstances tend to change." Raza said pulling on Spiral's hair so he could pull his head into the window. "A few months ago, these Prophets show up and try to disrupt the status quo. 'Good for them' I said 'They'll try to take over the world and fail just like every other sociopath with a cult following and a Messiah complex.'...Then you got involved and everything is dragging out."

"And why is that?" Spiral asked.

"Because of you and your little friends." Raza answered. "I must say, you are terrible at being a hero. First you can't beat me in a Duel, then you let the little girl die and now you can't even do anything about the Prophets. A normal hero by now would have been able to take out two or three of them by now. THis has got to be the LONGEST secret war between two sides of good and evil I've ever seen. Normally, I wouldn't mind, but it's just SO BORING. My God, something exciting needs to happen."

"This doesn't concern you at all." Spiral said. "Why do you even care?"

"Circumstances change." Raza repeated himself. "You see, I'm a part of a type of 'organization' myself. And these Prophets are just a big thorn in the ass. And our illustrious leader doesn't want to take care of it, so I'm here to do it for him."

"What organization are you-" Spiral tried to ask.

"Umbra." Raza said. "Umbra is shadow. Shadow is darkness. Darkness is truth. Catchy tagline, heh? Came up with it myself."

Spiral just glared at him.

"So anyway, we need to move this whole thing along." Raza told him. "So I've decided to give you the illustrious honor of being my teammate through all of this. Doesn't that make you feel special?"

"Yeah... right." Spiral scoffed.

"Aw, don't be like that." Raza said. "You and me are gonna go Prophet hunting. We'll begin right now. I know where a Prophet is heading and one of your friends is in serious danger. Oooh."

"Wait, where?" Spiral asked.

"Say the magic word." Raza replied.

"Gh, please." Spiral grumbled.

"Wrong, the correct answer is 'abracadabra'." Raza responded.

"WHERE? !" Spiral shouted.

"Shinku Tea & Coffee House." Raza told him. "Your little girlfriend Naoto and her lesbian lover are there. Better hurry."

Raza then pushed Spiral's head out the window and released the chain, making him fall down the side of the building into a trash dumpster, which broke the fall. Spiral got out of the dumpster and looked in the direction of the coffee house, then started running at a breakneck pace.

*I don't know if he's lying or not...* Spiral thought as he ran. *But there's only one way to find out.*

* * *

On the building across the street from the Shinku Tea & Coffee House, someone was standing on the rooftop looking down at the coffee shop. That person was Luna and she looked pissed.

"Leaving in the dead of night?" Luna spoke to herself. "It would have worked if I didn't have insomnia."

Naoto and Kokoro then started to leave the coffee shop. Luna jumped off the building and landed onto the street without breaking a single bone in her body. Her sudden appearance startled Naoto and Kokoro. When Kokoro saw Luna's face as she stood up, Kokoro was immediately struck with fear.

"L... Luna?" Kokoro stuttered.

"Kokoro, you do know what the penalty is for desertion in the Prophets, don't you?" Luna asked.

"I don't know what you're talking abou-" Kokoro was about to say.

"DON'T LIE TO ME, YOU TRAITOR!" Luna yelled. "I smelled the bottles of shampoo in your bag. Unforunately for you I have insomnia and a heightened sense of smell."

"What do you mean by that?" Kokoro asked.

"Oh, I surely thought one of the other members would tell you." Luna said. "But, since you're both going to die anyway, it won't matter."

"Wait..." Naoto spoke. "Do you mean that-"

"Yes, the penalty for desertion... is death." Luna said.

"Naoto, we have to run!" Kokoro shouted. "Even if you can fight her in a Duel, she's too strong! You can't win!"

"Do whatever you like." Luna told them. "Run away, Duel for your freedom, the results will be the same regardless. Your deaths are inevitable."

Naoto and Kokoro were frozen where they were as Luna slowly walked over to them. Suddenly, Spiral appeared seemingly out of nowhere and stopped between his two friends and Luna.

"Spiral, what are you doing here?" Naoto asked.

"I came out here hoping you didn't get involved with the mob." Spiral answered as he looked at Luna. "I was kind of wrong. Is she a member of the Prophets?"

Kokoro took a big gulp before speaking. "... Y-yes, but you don't stand a chance, Spiral."

"Well, I won't know unless I try, right?" Spiral asked.

"You want to Duel?" Luna asked. "Fine, it's your funeral."

Luna pulled out a Duel Disk with various moon symbols over it and a Duel Gazer with a crescent moon design. Spiral then put on his Duel Disk and Duel Gazer and he and Luna took their positions on opposite sides of the road.

"Let's Duel!" They both shouted.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Tokyo University in an undisclosed room, Sophie and Valerie were sleeping on separate cots, wearing light pajamas. Sophie appeared to be sleeping soundly, but Valerie looked like she was having a nightmare.

"... nnn... no... No... FAAATHEEER!" Valerie screamed as she woke up and shot up in her bed.

She panted heavily for several seconds, sweating and looking around the room.

"Phew... Thank God it was just a bad dream..." Valerie muttered before feeling a sharp pain in her stomach. "Ow... what's... I better check, just in case."

Valerie put on her regular clothes and ran out of the room.

* * *

Valerie knocked on the door to the boys' dorm room. Eventually, someone opened the door and it was Shroud.

"What is it?" Shroud asked, half asleep. "And make it quick. I need enough REM sleep for tomorrow."

"Is D-I mean, Spiral okay?" Valerie asked.

"Well, something got Naoto upset about an hour ago and left, then Spiral decided to look for him after he had been gone for a while." Shroud told her. "I wouldn't know if they're okay by now. Cities ARE at their most dangerous at night."

Valerie immediately started running down the hallway, towards the girls' dorm.

"I wonder what that was all about?" Shroud asked before heading back into his room and closing the door.

Valerie ran until she eventually made it to the girls' dorm room and knocked on the door.

"Girls, it's me." Valerie said. "Valerie. Please open the door. I think Spiral might be in trouble!"

* * *

Back in front of the coffee shop, Spiral was ready to Duel with Luna.

**Spiral (LP 4000) Luna (LP 4000)**

"Naoto, I want you to run away from here as fast as you can." Spiral whispered to Naoto. "While I keep her distracted, you head back to the Academy, okay? Just go. Now." Spiral then turned his attention back to Luna. "All right, let's Duel! I draw! I summon Legendary Guardian Force Breaker (Lv.4 1900/1100) in attack mode! The I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn!"

Luna drew her first card. "I summon Banewolf Nubilus (Lv.4 2000/1000)."

A Great Plains wolf with a black mark on its forehead appeared on Luna's side of the field.

"Then I activate the Continuous Spell Hunting Wolves." Luna continued. "Now when a Banewolf monster destroys a monster, I can draw one card. Next, I activate the Spell Card Wolf's Pride, which prevents my Banewolf monsters from being affected by other card effects this turn. Banewolf Nubilus, attack his monster!"

Banewolf Nubilus pounced onto Force Breaker and chewed it to pieces, destroying him and inflicting Spiral with 100 points of damage.

**Spiral (LP 3900) Luna (LP 4000)**

"Now, thanks to Hunting Wolves, I can draw one card." Luna said as she drew a card. "Also, when Nubilis destroys a monster in battle, he can change his Level to 7 until the End Phase of my next turn. I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

Spiral drew his next card. "Since there is a Legend-type card in my Graveyard, I can Normal Summon Legendary Guardian YX-19 (Lv.5 2100/1500) without a Tribute! Next, since I successfully Normal Summoned her, I can Special Summon the Tuner Legendary Guardian Aviary (Lv.3 1500/700) from my hand! And since YX-19 is a non-Tuner, I can Special Summon the Tuner Legendary Guardian Flame Lancer (Lv.3 1200/700)! Now I overlay my Level 3 Aviary and Flame Lancer to Xyz Summon Legendary Guardian Blade (Rank 3 2100/2000)! Blade, attack her wolf now!"

"I activate the Trap Threatening Roar." Luna retaliated. "This prevents you from declaring an attack this turn."

"Fine, I end my turn!" Spiral said.

Luna drew her next card. "Since I control a Banewolf on my field, I can Normal Summon Banewolf Arctos (Lv.7 2100/800) without a Tribute." An arctic wolf with a black mark on its forehead appeared next to Banewolf Nubilus. "I end my turn."

Spiral drew his next card. "I summon Legendary Guardian Dogma Cleric (Lv.4 1500/1600)! Blade, attack Arctos!"

Blade charged toward Banewolf Arctos.

"I activate the Trap Prideful Roar." Luna responded. "I pay Life Points equal to the difference between our monsters' attack points and increase my monster's attack power by the same amount plus 300. Since the difference is 0, I don't have to pay any Life Points."

"Too bad, because as long as I have a different Legend-type card, Dogma Cleric can negate your Traps and destroy them!" Spiral stated.

Dogma Cleric clapped her hands together and prayed. A golden aura enveloped Luna's Prideful Roar Trap and it was destroyed.

"Also, if Blade would be destroyed, all I have to do is detach one of his Xyz Materials to prevent his destruction!" Spiral added.

Banewolf Arctos bit Blade, but Blade flung it off his arm and slashed it with his sword, while losing one of his Xyz Materials. Banewolf Arctos was destroyed. While Spiral and Luna were distracted, Naoto and Kokoro managed to sneak away.

"YX-19, attack Nubilus!" Spiral continued.

YX-19 shot a data stream at Banewolf Nubilus and destroyed it, inflicting Luna with 100 points of damage.

**Spiral (LP 3900) Luna (LP 3900)**

"Dogma Cleric, attack her directly!" Spiral said.

Dogma Cleric slammed her mace against Luna's head, inflicting her with 1500 points of damage.

**Spiral (LP 3900) Luna (LP 2400)**

"I end my turn!" Spiral said.

* * *

Meanwhile, the girls were running through the streets of Tokyo searching for Spiral.

"What makes you think that Spiral is in danger?" Aura asked.

"I... I just know." Valerie said just before wincing and holding onto her stomach. "I just hope we're not too late..."

They then saw Naoto and Kokoro running across a nearby street.

"NAOTO!" Momo called out to him.

Naoto and Kokoro turned around and saw them, then ran up to the girls.

"What are you all doing out here?" Naoto asked.

"I think Spiral might be in danger." Valerie answered. "Do you know where he is?"

"He's facing off against one of the Prophets right now." Kokoro told her. "But I'm not sure if he'll be able to win."

"What makes you say that?" Chan asked.

"Because the person he's up against is one of the highest-ranking members of the Arcana." Kokoro responded.

"Where is he? !" Valerie inquired.

"They should be Dueling in front of the Shinku Tea and Coffee House." Naoto answered.

Valerie then ran off in a hurry.

"Hey wait!" Naoto tried to call out to her.

Valerie didn't listen and continued running towards the coffee house.

"Valerie, wait up!" Chun shouted.

The girls started to chase after Valerie, leaving Naoto and Kokoro to head back to the school.

* * *

Luna leered at Spiral as she drew her next card. "I send a card from my hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon Banewolf Rufus (Lv.7 1600/2300) in defense mode."

A red wolf with a black mark on its head appeared on the field.

"I end my turn by placing one card face-down." Luna said.

Spiral drew his next card. "I summon Legendary Guardian Power Magician (Lv.4 1400/1400)!"

A caped mage carrying a scepter with a red orb on the tip of it appeared on the field.

"When he's out, all Synchro and Xyz monsters I have gain 700 attack points!" Spiral stated. "Now Blade has enough attack points to take out your wolf!"

Blade charged toward Banewolf Rufus.

"I activate my face-down Quickplay Spell Honor of the Pack." Luna responded. "This prevents any of my Banewolf monsters from being destroyed this turn."

"But Blade can still deal you piercing damage!" Spiral pointed out.

Blade swung his sword and Banewolf Rufus bit on the sword to stop the attack. Blood started dripping from the wolf's mouth and Luna lost 500 Life Points.

**Spiral (LP 3900) Luna (LP 1900)**

"I end my turn." Spiral said.

Luna drew her next card and smirked. "I activate the Continuous Spell Howl of Revival. I can pay 700 Life Points and I can bring back a Banewolf monster from my Graveyard. I pay 1400 Life Points to bring back Arctos and the Rufus I discarded to summon the one I have right now. Now I overlay my Level 7 wolves."

**Spiral (LP 3900) Luna (LP 500)**

The wolves transformed into black streams of energy that entered Luna's heart. Luna then started to morph as if she was turning into a werewolf, which was exactly what she turned into.

"Banewolf Lupis Sapien (Rank 7 3500/1800)!" Luna said in her new form.

Spiral couldn't help but stare in a state of fear at what Luna had become.

"Wh... what the..." Spiral muttered.

"Members of the Prophets who are ranked XIII or higher have a particular card assigned to our soul." Luna explained. "When we summon that monster, we become that monster."

Spiral then noticed that there was a mark on Luna's left shoulder, XVIII.

"You're... number 18?" Spiral asked.

"Yes, I am Arcana Number XVIII, Luna. Out of all the members of the Arcana, there are only three members who are ranked higher than I am. Now you will pay for picking a fight with me. Now I'll attack Blade."

Lupis Sapien (AKA Luna) lunged on top of Blade and furiously tried to maul him.

"I detach Blade's last Xyz Material to prevent his destruction!" Spiral said.

Blade blocked the Luna's furious attacks and Spiral lost 700 Life Points.

**Spiral (LP 3200) Luna (LP 500)**

"Next I activate Lupis Sapien's effect." Luna said. "By detaching one of my Xyz Materials, I can attack again and I gain 500 attack until the end of my turn!"

Luna lunged on top of Blade again, ready to maul on him.

"I activate the Trap Legend's Fury!" Spiral responded. "I send a face-down Spell or Trap I have to the Graveyard to double Blade's original attack points! That increases his power to 4900!"

"I activate Lupis Sapien's other ability." Luna said. "When you activate a Trap, I can detach one of its Xyz Materials to inflict you with damage equal to half of the attack points of the monster you control with the most attack points. Since Blade is your strongest monster, you lose half of all those attack points!"

Luna ducked under Blade's attack and bit Spiral on the side of his stomach, and she bit on a large portion of his stomach. The girls arrived just as Luna had bitten Spiral.

**Spiral (LP 750) Luna (LP 500)**

Valerie's eyes had widened the moment she saw Spiral get fatally wounded.

"FAAAAAAAATHEEEEEERRRR!"

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Doug Erholtz **Raza**

Kate Oxley **Luna**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Lisa Ortiz **Valerie**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Alison Viktorin **Chan/Chun**

* * *

**Preview**

**Momo:** What did you just yell?

**Valerie:** Um, nothing.

**Aura:** Did you just call-

**Valerie:** I don't have to listen to this! Lalalalala!

**Aura:** Stop being a kid and tell us!

**Valerie:** I don't have to tell you anything! Next time on Arcana of Fate! Heritage!

**Momo:** Wouldn't that hint at something?

**Valerie:** SHHHHH!

* * *

**Chan and Chun's Comedy Corner**

Chan and Chun were on a stage with a microphone. Chun looked a little bit dizzy.

**Chan:** Hey, readers! Welcome back to-Sis, are you okay?

**Chun:** There was a suspicious-looking guy in the alley while we were searching for Spiral. He gave me this weird drink and now I feel so happy.

**Chan:** *sniff sniff* Have you been drinking?

**Chun:** Not since I got onstage. Now who here in the audience thinks I could kick Chan's ass?

**Chan:** I think you need to drink a coffee and take a shower.

**Chun:** I'm sorry. I just wanted to find the lost treasure of El Dorado.

**Chan:** What the heck are you talking about?

**Chun:** ...

**Chan:** Uh... Sis?

Chan poked Chun and Chun fell over. Chun then started snoring.

**Chan:** ... Uh... I think that will do for today's show. See you next time.

As the curtains closed, Chan dragged a sleeping Chun offstage.

* * *

**Spiral's Cards**

Legendary Guardian Power Magician

Legend/Tuner (ATK 1400 DEF 1400)

Level 4/DARK

Increase the ATK of all Sychro and Xyz Monsters you control by 700. When you Synchro Summon using this card and a Legend-type monster as Synchro Material Monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard.

Legend's Fury

Trap

Send 1 Set Spell/Trap Card you control to the Graveyard. Double the original ATK of a Legend-type Xyz monster you control until the End Phase.

**Luna's Cards**

Banewolf Nubilus

Beast/Effect (ATK 2000 DEF 1000)

Level 4/EARTH

When this card destroys a monster as a result of battle: The Level of this cards becomes 7 until the End Phase of your next turn.

Hunting Wolves

Spell/Continuous

When a "Banewolf" monster destroys a monster as a result of battle: Draw 1 card.

Wolf's Pride

Spell

Until the End Phase, "Banewolf" monsters you control are unaffected by other card effects.

Banewolf Arctos

Beast/Effect (ATK 2100 DEF 800)

Level 7/WATER

If you control a face-up "Banewolf" monster: You can Normal Summon this card from your hand without a Tribute.

Banewolf Rufus

Beast/Effect (ATK 1600 DEF 2300)

Level 7/EARTH

You can send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard: Special Summon this card from your hand.

Honor of the Pack

Spell/Quickplay

Until the End Phase, "Banewolf" monster cannot be destroyed.

Howl of Revival

Spell/Continuous

You can pay 700 Life Points: Special Summon 1 "Banewolf" monster from your Graveyard.

Banewolf Lupis Sapien

Beast/Xyz/Effect (ATK 3500 DEF 1800)

Rank 7/EARTH

3 Level 7 "Banewolf" Monsters

Once per turn; You can activate each of the following effects: *After this card attacks a monster; You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to have this card attack again, and if you do, increase the ATK of this card by 500 until the End Phase. *When your opponent activates a Trap Card; You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to inflict damage to your opponent equal to half of the ATK of the monster your opponent controls with the highest ATK.


	12. Chapter 12: Heritage

**Here is the next chapter, guys! How surprised were you when that revelation came to light? ... Somehow, I don't think any of you were surprised at all. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Aura, Momo, Chan, Chun and Valerie witnessed Spiral given a gnarly bite to the stomach. Luna kept her fangs gripped into Spiral's organs until Blade continued his attack on Luna and slashed her in the back, reducing her Life Points to 0.

**Spiral (LP 750) Luna (LP 0)**

Luna let go of Spiral and returned to her human state, wearing the same white cloak she had worn this whole time. But there was one other thing that was on everyone's minds right now.

"Valerie… what did you just say?" Momo asked.

"Um… I didn't say anything." Valerie smiled innocently.

"Don't play dumb!" Momo argued.

Spiral was clutching his wound to slow down the blood loss, but he couldn't help but stare at Valerie with a strange look.

"Did… you just call me…" Spiral muttered.

Spiral was then kicked in the stomach and fell to the ground on his back. Luna stood above him and started pressing her foot against his chest.

"What did you do to me?" Spiral asked.

"You saw what I did." Luna answered. "When Dueling a member of the Prophets, you Duel for your soul. All damage we take is real."

* * *

In a nearby alleyway, Blaise was hiding and watching Luna.

*There she is…* Blaise thought. *Spiral? H-how… I can't let him see me like this.*

Blaise placed her hood over her head and disappeared.

* * *

Spiral then noticed that there was blood dripping down from Luna's forehead.

"That blow to the head your monster gave me actually hurt me." Luna said. "But it's not as severe of an injury as the one I gave to you. I'm going to make sure you die a slow, agonizing death right here."

Just then, Luna was being pulled back by a cloaked Blaise.

"Let him go, Luna!" Blaise told her. "You lost the Duel, so you have no right to kill him."

"Just because I lost a card game doesn't mean I should spare that human's life!" Luna argued. "Have you forgotten the hardships we were forced to endure because of their avarice, Blaise? !"

"Blaise?" Spiral spoke. "Can it be… Is that you, Blaise?"

Blaise stopped moving, but didn't respond.

"Did he just say… 'Blaise'?" Momo mumbled.

Blaise sighed, let go of Luna and lowered her hood, revealing her face.

"Yes, I am the Blaise you remember." Blaise sighed.

"You know this human, Blaise?" Luna asked.

"Blaise… are you really a member of the Prophets?" Spiral asked.

"… I'm afraid that I am." Blaise answered reluctantly.

"Ngh!" Spiral groaned as he fell to his knees.

"He's already dying." Luna stated. "Just let me finish him off."

"No." Blaise told her. "Because I'm here to take you back before Grandmaster Ryu notices you left. Have you forgotten that there is no excuse to skip curfew in the Prophets?"

"Kokoro betrayed us!" Luna shouted. "I only left to punish her!"

"There are only two conditions in which we are allowed after curfew." Blaise stated. "When the Grandmaster gives us a mission or to capture any who skip curfew. My reason is the latter. What if Kokoro was only leaving for the sake of her given mission?"

"Don't try to trick me!" Luna yelled.

While the two argued, Momo appeared next to Spiral, grabbed his free arm and vanished without a trace; just like a real ninja. Momo and Spiral reappeared next to the others, Blaise and Luna still oblivious to their presence. They took this opportunity to sneak away.

"Ngh, dammit…" Spiral grumbled as he held on his wound tighter.

"We need to get him to a hospital." Aura said.

* * *

At Tokyo's hospital, the girls were waiting anxiously outside the emergency room. Valerie and Momo couldn't help but pace around while the others were sitting down on the benches. Pulse, Naoto, Kokoro, Asuka, Hikari, Azusa, Lilith, Eve, Takashi and, surprisingly, Shroud all came in and walked up to them.

"We came as soon as we heard what happened." Pulse said. "How bad is it?"

"He passed out from blood loss as soon as we got here." Aura answered.

"How much longer is this going to take?" Shroud asked. "This place is riddled with vaccine-resistant viruses that could kill us in an instant and I need to sleep."

"Shroud, the person who saved your life could be on his deathbed and all you can think about is yourself? !" Asuka growled as she lifted Shroud up by his collar. "What the hell is your problem? !"

"Even I'm not that selfish." Eve added.

"Anyway, when we found Spiral, Valerie said something very interesting." Chan stated. "Go ahead, Valerie, tell them what you slipped out."

"Damn it, Sophie's going to be SOO mad at me." Valerie sighed. "I've tried to hide this from you all so it wouldn't affect the timeline, but I guess I can't dodge that bullet any longer. The truth is… I'm Spiral's daughter."

"I guess that explains all the things you did for him." Naoto said. "Wait, how far in the future do you come from?"

"I guess around 26 years." Valerie answered.

"Although I have a better question about your origins…" Eve said as she analyzed Valerie's body. "Like who is your mother?"

"Yeah… I'm curious about that myself." Hikari said.

"I can't tell by simply looking at you." Eve stated. "The only discerning physical feature that can link you to any of us is your hair color, which you obviously get from Spiral."

"Can you tell us who your mother is?" Aura asked.

"No." Valerie answered. "I already gave away who my father is and when I come from. Telling you who gave birth to me could cause the future I come from to alter radically."

"On an unrelated note, can I borrow some of your hair or saliva?" Eve requested.

Everyone just looked at Eve like she was crazy.

"I am not going to let you run a DNA test." Valerie said.

Everyone else then looked at Valerie, a bit surprised.

"What would make you think I would run a DNA test?" Eve asked, chuckling a bit.

"I'm a lot smarter than you think." Valerie said.

"I just thought of something." Azusa spoke up. "If Valerie is Spiral's daughter, then wouldn't that make you her grandmother, Principal Pulse?"

"Yes, it would." Pulse responded.

"Y… You're my grandmother?" Valerie asked.

"Yes, I AM Spiral's mother and you ARE his daughter." Pulse answered. "Common sense pretty much states that I must be your grandmother."

"Wait, is this seriously happening?" Takashi asked. "Time travel? Really?"

Before anyone could say anything else, the doctor came out.

"Is he going to be all right?" Valerie asked the doctor.

"Fortunately, he got here before the wound got infected." The doctor told her. "We just had to stitch him up a bit, but he'll need to rest for the next few days."

"Thank God." Momo sighed with relief.

"Question: Did he get mauled by a bear or something?" The doctor asked.

"Um… wolf." Valerie hesitantly responded. "… Really big wolf… someone must have kept it as an exotic pet. You know how some people raise chimps in their homes."

"Anyway, he's still unconscious, but he should wake up in a little bit." The doctor stated. "If any of you want to wait for him, you can. However, only two of you are permitted until regular visiting hours."

"I want to go." Valerie said. "I've got to tell him what I've told you all."

"That just leaves one other person." Chan said.

"Not me, bye." Shroud said as he walked away.

Everyone else in the room shook their heads with disapproving looks on their faces.

"You guys haven't known me for that long, so I don't think it should be me." Takashi said. "Sorry."

"At least you weren't a dick about it." Naoto stated.

"If you're leaving too, can you escort me back to the dorm?" Shroud asked from a way's away. "I don't feel comfortable wandering the streets at night."

"Naoto, I'm feeling a little sleepy." Kokoro said.

"Guys, I'm gonna take Kokoro back to the dorm." Naoto said. "We'll come back here first thing after classes tomorrow."

Takashi, Naoto and Kokoro left, leaving only Valerie, Aura, the twins, Momo, Hikari, Pulse, Azusa, Eve, Asuka and Lilith in the hospital ward.

"How should we decide the second person?" Hikari asked.

"… Rock-paper-shotgun?" Eve suggested.

Everyone looked hopelessly confused.

"How does that work?" Lilith asked.

"Paper covers rock, shotgun blows the living hell out of anything within breathing distance." Eve answered.

"Where does that leave rock?" Asuka questioned.

"… Just to get covered by paper." Eve responded.

"I should be the second person." Pulse said. "I am his mother and I should be there for him."

"Wait..." Momo spoke up. "... I want to go."

"Why should you be the one to go?" Aura questioned.

"Aura's right." Hikari spoke up. "It should be me."

"What makes you think it should be you?" Aura asked.

"Because Spiral and I almost took each other's virginity away." Hikari answered.

Eve's eyes widened a bit. "... I'm sorry, what?"

"You were drunk!" Aura argued.

"We did see each other naked, though." Hikari added.

"..." Eve continued to remain silent.

"Yeah, but Spiral and I saw each other naked before then." Momo stated.

"That shouldn't count!" Aura argued. "You threw a rock at him and he forgot it all! I should be the one to see him!"

"Why?" Hikari asked.

"Because... I saved his life!" Aura responded. "He took a gunshot to the arm and if it weren't for me taking him to the hospital back then, who knows what would've happened!"

"Then you've had your turn, now let someone else take theirs!" Hikari said.

"In what world is that a logical argument?" Aura questioned.

"Has Spiral seen you naked at all?" Hikari asked.

"No." Aura answered.

"Interesting..." Hikari muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aura asked.

"It just occurred to me that out of the three of us, the only one that Spiral's hasn't seen nude is you." Hikari responded. "That, and I just remembered that out of us three, you have the smallest breasts."

"Wha..." Aura started to blush. "What does breast size have to do with it?"

"I think it has to do with how men are usually attracted to women with large breasts because they represent greater fertility, meaning more babies." Eve state. "It's a basic instinct within human males."

"I've known Spiral for two three years now and I'm pretty sure he'd never select one of us purely on breast size!" Aura argued. "Plus, I'm considered average for my country and I haven't fully developed yet. My mother said I'll be a 30C cup when I get older."

"What are your current measurements?" Hikari asked.

"... 30B... by UK standards..." Aura reluctantly answered.

"For the uninitiated, the number means the band size of a bra strap is 30 inches and the letter means the cup size is B." Eve explained as she held up picket signs that visualize what she's talking about. "In Japan, the equivalent size is 65 centimeters and a B-cup while in the US, it's equivalent to 30A. That also means when she finally fully develops, she will have a US size of 30B and a Japanese size of 65C."

"I am a 75C!" Hikari gloated. "In a couple of years, I'll 70D!"

"Dang it!" Aura grumbled.

"Shall I interpret Momo's size?" Eve asked.

"Please no, it'll make the two of us look bad." Hikari answered.

"80 E." Eve mischievously smirked. "The Japanese equivalent to a US 36D."

"How could you tell that? !" Momo asked.

"Just by looking at you." Eve answered. "Since you're 17, you must be nearing the peak of your physique. My guess is that within the next year or two, you're final cup size should be F."

"Why am I here listening to this?" Pulse asked herself.

Aura, Momo and Hikari kept arguing with each other while everyone else kept watching.

"... Spiral's sex life is much more active than I thought." Azusa said to Asuka and Lilith.

"And he's still virgin." Asuka added.

"Looks like fun." Lilith said.

"Like I said, I should be with Spiral!" Aura shouted. "I gave him a home when he didn't have any!"

"I helped him discover the secrets of the Guardians!" Hikari argued. "It should be me!"

Momo said nothing until she clenched her fists. "It shouldn't be either one of you!" She shouted. "Remember when Etsuko died? Did any of you help him through it? Did it ever come to mind? I was the only one who bothered to console him! I got him out of his depression! What did you do?"

Aura and Hikari fell silent.

"You know what? At this point, I'd rather have anyone else other than you two go in." Momo said. "At least Azusa helped him get his Dueling confidence back and Asuka has a lot of respect for Spiral."

Everyone in the room remained silent for several moments.

* * *

... a... er... "Father?"

Spiral woke up suddenly with a gasp. Spiral looked to his left and saw Valerie sitting in a chair. He then noticed that he was in a hospital bed and it was already morning.

"You're awake!" Valerie smiled as she hugged him around his neck.

"Valerie..." Spiral spoke.

"The doctors had to give you stitches around your wounds, so you need to stay here for a bit." Valerie said. "But you should be okay. At least, that's what the doctor said anyway... You've probably been wondering about what slipped out of my mouth last night, huh?"

"You called me 'father'." Spiral stated. "Are you... really my daughter from the future?"

"Yes, about 26 years from now." Valerie nodded. "In about 14 years, you and my mom will have me. You're probably wondering who my mom is, huh?"

"Are you going to tell me?" Spiral asked.

"No." Valerie answered. "I'm already in deep trouble simply by telling you I'm your daughter."

"Is it safe to assume that you and Sophie hail from the same time?" Spiral asked.

"We do." Valerie confirmed.

"Is it just you here?" Spiral asked.

"Nope." A voice from behind the hospital door said.

The door to the room opened and Momo came in holding a bottle of water.

"How are you feeling?" Momo asked.

"I... I'm fine." Spiral responded. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Because you're hurt, of course." Momo answered.

"Everyone else went back to the academy." Valerie said. "Although deciding who the second person to stay here with you took a long while. She, Aura and Hikari had a really long argument that almost took the rest of the night."

"Once I brought up how I managed to make you feel better after..." Momo was about to say before realizing that she shouldn't mention Etsuko's death. "... I mean, whenever you got sad, we managed to agree that I should be here with you."

"I appreciate you for being here." Spiral smiled.

"Spiral, I know this is sudden, considering you just regained consciousness, but was that really Blaise we saw last night?" Momo asked.

"It was." Spiral responded. "I couldn't believe it at first myself, but it was her, no doubt about it. I'd recognize that red hair anywhere."

"Excuse me, but who's Blaise?" Valerie asked.

"About 5 years ago, Momo and I heard about a pro duelist coming to this one town that was nearby." Spiral told her. "We were curious, so we snuck out and went to this town to meet her."

"Was Blaise that duelist?" Valerie asked.

"Yes." Spiral confirmed. "We became interested in the game and wanted her to teach us what she knew about the game. Thankfully, she was participating in the tournament that was being hosted in that town, so she taught us the basics of the game as well as more advanced tactics. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be the duelists we are today."

"Wait, you didn't seem to know her?" Momo asked. "Does she not exist in your time?"

"... Now that I think about, I do remember my parents mentioning her from time to time." Valerie responded. "But I don't think I actually met her, so I can't say what happens to her."

"I just hope that we don't have to end up facing her." Spiral laid back in his hospital bed.

"Oh, I forgot I got you some water." Momo said as she handed Spiral the bottled water.

"Thanks." Spiral said as he took the bottled water and took a few gulps. "What about our schoolwork?"

"I'm sure Ms. Krystal will take care of things." Momo told him. "She might not know what goes on in our lives, but she looks after us."

"How long did the doctor say I'd have to stay here in bed?" Sprial asked.

"At most, about 3 days as long as you don't move around too much." Valerie stated.

"Spiral, how about when summer break lets out, we all go to the beach?" Momo suggested.

"... I'd really like that." Spiral answered.

* * *

That night Spiral tried to get some sleep. Momo and Valerie were out in the hallway leaving him to get that sleep. It was difficult with the pain from his wounds. In the middle of the night he heard the sound of a snake hissing. He opened his eyes and turned his head toward the window to see Raza standing in front of it.

"Wow! That was fun to watch!" Raza said with twisted glee. "Not the most surprising twist ever, but the injury sure made me giggle."

"Go away." Spiral said turning away. "We can handle this on our own."

Raza grabbed Spiral's head and turned it to face him. "No, you can't!" he said. "Like I said before we need to move this along. So tomorrow WE are going war!"

"I almost died today!" Spiral said.

"And your friends would've died if I didn't help you." Raza said. "See? I'm not a bad guy. I can be very helpful." He let go of Spiral's head and pulled out his knife, twiddling it between his fingers. "I'll give you information on the Arcana, you tell your friends, you battle, you win, then we're done. Sounds easy enough."

"... Fine." Spiral agreed.

"Goodie!" Raza said. "And One more thing. You tell NO one about me understand? If you let it slip of the tongue that I'm giving you the information...things might go bad for your wittle pweacious Dauuuuter."

"If you touch Valerie I'LL-"

"You'll What? !"

Spiral clenched his fists on his blanket as Raza snickered at him.

"Tell you what." Raza said taking Spiral's hand. He placed his knife into the palm of Spiral's hand and held it up so Sprial was holding the knife up Raza's neck. Raza threw his arms in the air to show he had no defense. "FREE SHOT! On the house."

Spiral looked at the Knife, up against Raza's neck. It would be so easy to just kill him now...Spiral just dropped the knife on the bed and sat back down.

"I thought so." Raza said picking his knife back up. "Just do what I say and we won't have a problem ok?"

Spiral just sat back and nodded.

"No. You're supposed to say 'Yes Mr. Anguis, I'll do whatever you say'." Raza mocked.

"I'll do it." Spiral sneered.

"Eh-Close enough." Raza shrugged. "Sleep well kid. HeHeHeHeHE!"

Raza was consumed by a wall of green flames and disappeared. Spiral sat there for a long moment before grabbing his pillow and throwing it at the wall.

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Lisa Ortiz **Valerie**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Ali Hillis **Blaise**

Kate Oxley **Luna**

Alison Viktorin **Chan/Chun**

Kate Higgins **Pulse**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Johnny Yong Bosch **Takashi**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

Doug Erholtz **Raza**

* * *

**Preview**

**Takashi:** Those Prophets need to pay for what they did!

**Azusa:** Oh no, one of them's heading right for Spiral!

**Takashi:** What? ! This is my chance to prove myself! Here I come, you scum! Next time on Arcana of Fate! The Magician!

**Azusa:** Magician? Will there be a magic show next chapter?

**Takashi:** Hell if I know.

* * *

**Chan and Chun's Comedy Corner**

A curtain pulls back, revealing Chan and Chun on a stage with a microphone in front of them.

**Chun: **Hey, Sis, you want to hear something real funny that happened earlier?

**Chan:** Sure.

**Chun:** Okay, so I talked Lilith into stroking her breasts in public and she totally did it! Ahahaha!

**Chan: **... Why?

**Chun:** Because nearly every guy in the area either ogled at her or fainted from nosebleeds! Oh, man, were wives and girlfriends so pissed at those guys! Hahahaha! I think one even pulled out a taser!

**Chan:** ...

**Chun:** You don't find that funny?

**Chan:** *shakes head*

**Chun:** ... How are we even related?

**Chan:** Anyway, tune in next time.

The curtain closes.


	13. Chapter 13: The Magician

**Wow, I got this chapter done a lot faster than I thought I would. Anyway, I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. Please enjoy... and review.**

* * *

Spiral laid in his hospital bed with the television on, though he didn't pay much attention to it. It seemed as if he was thinking about something else entirely. It wasn't until Valerie came in that Spiral finally snapped out of his daze.

"How are you doing, Daddy?" Valerie asked.

"I still can't get used to that." Spiral responded. "I never thought I'd be a father at 15, even though I haven't even had you yet."

"Well, technically I'm not your first-born, but I shouldn't go too much into it." Valerie stated.

"... Can I ask you something about your mother?" Spiral asked.

"Depends on what you plan to ask." Valerie answered.

"What is your mother like?" Spiral inquired.

"... I can't say too much, but..." Valerie started. "She always looked out for us, including you. Actually, both of you ensured that the entire family was happy. Also... you and mother loved each other very much. Even after over 20 years of marriage, you and mother are still madly in love. Seriously, I overhear the creaks of you two bouncing on the bed almost every night."

Spiral blushed furiously at what Valerie just said. "Um... I don't have an immediate response to that..."

Momo then entered the room. "How's that injury of yours doing?"

"The doctor said that my injury is healing up nicely." Spiral told her. "Either tomorrow or the day after, my stitches will be removed and I'll be free to go."

"And after the semester finals, it's off to the beach." Momo smiled.

"Hey, can Sophie and those other two come too?" Valerie asked.

"Of course, if they want." Spiral responded. "You could ask them later if you'd like. You know, you both don't have to stay here. I'm sure your homework must be piling up, Momo."

"Ms. Krystal's taking care of that, so there's no need to worry about that stuff." Momo assured.

"That's good." Spiral sighed.

* * *

In a dark room at the Prophets' Headquarters, a man in a white cloak approached Luna, who was also wearing her white cloak.

"You wished to see me?" The man asked.

"Yes, I have an important assignment for you." Luna said. "Grandmaster Ryu isn't aware of this, so I'd advise you to finish the job before the sun sets to avoid either of us from getting into trouble. At Yokoi Memorial Hospital, one of our targets is busy recuperating after I injured him."

"You actually left the target alive?"

"The bastard actually managed to defeat me in a Duel." Luna stated. "I was lucky to even escape with my soul still in my body. If he remains alive, who knows who else he'll defeat. He is just as much of a threat to us as those time travelers. Your mission is to go to the hospital and assassinate him by any means necessary."

"Understood." The man bowed before he left the room.

*That human needs to die!* Luna thought. *His existence poses a great threat to Grandmaster Ryu's plans! Soon, everything will change.*

* * *

Back at Tokyo University Duel Academy, classes had just let out and everyone met up at the school's courtyard.

"I wonder how Spiral's doing." Aura spoke.

"We'll know when we get to the hospital." Naoto said.

Everyone started to walk out of the courtyard and onto Tokyo's streets.

"Well, whoever the hell put Spiral in there is going to pay." Takashi said as he slapped his fist into his palm.

"Please, if anything you're just the dead weight of our group." Shroud said.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Takashi asked.

"If I were to compare our group to the characters on _Star Trek_..." Shroud said. "Spiral would be Captain Kirk, I'm the science officer Spock, Eve is the engineer Scotty, since I see Aura as the medic of our group she'd be McCoy... and you, Takashi, would be the guy in red."

"I take it that's not an important role." Takashi spoke.

"It's not important, but that's not the worst part of it." Eve stated. "He's saying you're the guy who always gets killed."

"What the hell, man? !" Takashi yelled.

"You're lack of seniority and your attitude make you the least important member of our group." Shroud said. "It's common sense."

"I don't have to take that crap, you know!" Takashi shouted.

"Actually, you do." Shroud rebutted.

"THAT'S IT, WOU LITTLE SHIT!" Takashi started to attack Shroud. "YOU BETTER TAKE BACK WHAT YOU SAID AND SHUT UP BEFORE I BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF YOU!"

Everyone else just watched the carnage.

"... Is Shroud normally that obnoxious?" Kokoro asked.

"It's like he has no respect for anyone but himself." Azusa agreed.

"If we didn't tell him that visiting a friend at the hospital is a non-optional social convention, he wouldn't be coming with us." Asuka said.

"It sounds like he doesn't care about anyone but himself." Lilith said.

"I'm sure he cares about Spiral, and us as well..." Hikari spoke. "I think it's just hard for him to express it."

"You make a good point, Hikari." Eve stated. "People who think purely on logic, like Shroud and myself, typically have problems communicating or recognizing certain emotions."

* * *

In front of the hospital, the cloaked man that met with Luna stood outside the hospital. He removed his cloak to reveal him wearing doctor's uniform. He placed a light green bandana on his head and walked into the hospital.

* * *

Spiral was still lying in his hospital bed with his eyes closed, one with his thoughts. Momo and Valerie were about to leave the room.

"Everyone's going to be here soon, so we'll be waiting downstairs so we can bring them here." Momo said.

"And I'm just going to check the vending machines for a snack." Valerie said.

"I'll be fine." Spiral said. "It's not like I'm going anywhere else."

Momo and Valerie left the room, leaving Spiral all alone. On their way out, the girls passed by the 'doctor'. He rubbed his arm against his forehead, accidentally revealing a part of something on his head. Valerie spotted that unusual thing and stopped walking, staring back at the strange man.

"Valerie, what's wrong?" Momo asked.

"... Something's not right..." Valerie muttered. "Momo, could you go check on Spiral one more time while I wait downstairs for everyone?"

* * *

Back in Spiral's hospital room, the 'doctor' came in.

"Hm?" Spiral turned his head and noticed the strange doctor. "Is everything all right, doctor?"

"I'm afraid I have bad news." He said. "You only have less than a minute to live."

The 'doctor' pulled out a knife from behind his back.

"SPIRAL!"

Momo burst out of the door and grabbed the man's wrist, causing him to drop the knife. The two of them then got themselves into a struggle.

* * *

Takashi, Shroud, Hikari, the twins, Asuka, Lilith, Aura, Naoto, Eve, Azusa and Kokoro all came through the hospital doors and as soon as they came in, Valerie ran up to them, panting heavily.

"Whoa, did you just run a marathon or something?" Takashi asked.

"That line... that line was just terrible." Eve commented.

"Something's wrong." Valerie continued to pant. "I think my Dad might be in danger."

* * *

Momo continued to fight with the imposter, who tried to reach for his knife, but Momo knocked the knife under the bed. The man dove under the bed to reach for his knife and Momo quickly grabbed his legs and tried to pull him from under the bed. The man barely managed to grab his knife and tried to stab Momo in the face, but she quickly grabbed the man's wrist before it struck her. She then kicked the man in the stomach, let go of his wrist and kicked him in the stomach, which caused him to stumble back onto the bed and Momo quickly grabbed the knife from his grip. The man tried to get up, but Spiral quickly got up and kicked him in the back of the head, knocking him to the floor and out of consciousness. Spiral sat back down in his bed.

"Are you all right?" Spiral asked.

"I should be asking that about you." Momo said.

"I'm allowed to get up, I just can't apply too much pressure, so my wound won't open up." Spiral stated. "Why'd this guy try to kill me? Who is he anyway?"

Valerie came back with the others.

"Are you both okay?" Valerie asked.

"Were both fine." Spiral answered. "I wish you were all kind of saw it, though. Momo was quite the badass."

"Oh, Spiral, you're making me blush." Momo smiled.

Valerie crouched down and removed the imposter's bandana.

"Just as I suspected." Valerie spoke.

Everyone looked at the man's forehead, which had a tattoo listed 'I'.

"Why does he have a tattoo of the letter 'I' on his forehead?" Takashi asked.

"That's not an 'I'." Valerie stated. "It's the Roman numeral for 1. He's a member of the Arcana."

"That's him, all right." Kokoro said. "Arcana Number I."

"That's right." Naoto spoke. "You were a member of the Arcana, too. You're number... VI, though, right?"

"Yes, I am the sixth." Kokoro nodded.

"So, do you know who this guy is?" Naoto asked.

"I do." Kokoro answered. "His name is _Merlin _and he is the lowest-ranking member of the Arcana."

"So, that means he's the weakest?" Asuka asked. "He was certainly weak to get beaten in a straight up fight."

Merlin's hand started to twitch and move a little. Takashi noticed this and dove for him.

"Spiral, look out!" Takashi shouted.

Merlin tried to reach for Spiral, but Takashi tackled him and suddenly Takashi and Merlin disappeared without a trace.

"Takashi!" Spiral yelled.

"Where did they go?" Aura asked.

"... I told you he was the guy in red." Shroud spoke.

* * *

In a strange, almost space-like dimension, Takashi and Merlin reappeared and the two let go of each other. Takashi looked around to see where he was.

"Where the hell are we?" Takashi asked.

Merlin put on the Prophets' signature white cloak. "The number tattoos on our bodies not only indicate our level of power, they also grant us a special power. Mine, as the Magician, allows me to perform feats that normal people can't possibly do. You could say I'm the epitome of talent."

"What do magicians of anything to do with this?" Takashi asked.

"I'm not telling." Merlin responded. "After all, magicians never reveal their secrets."

"Then can you tell me the trick on how to get out of here?" Takashi asked.

"Oh, you won't be getting out of here." Merlin said. "The only way for either of us to escape is to Duel our way out. The winner is free to leave while the other loses their soul."

"Then I guess I got no other choice then." Takashi said as he pulled out his Duel Disk and Duel Gazer.

Merlin took out his white Duel Disk and Duel Gazer and activated them.

"Let's Duel!" They both shouted.

**Merlin (LP 4000) Takashi (LP 4000)**

"I'll go first!" Takashi said as he drew his first card. "First, I activate the Spell Card Double Summon so I can Normal Summon both Heroic Challenger-Spartan (Lv.4 1600/1000) and Heroic Challenger-Ambush Soldier (Lv.1 0/0)! Then I set one card face-down and end my turn!"

Merlin draws his first card. "First, I activate the Field Spell Necrovalley! Then I summon Gravekeeper's Commandant (Lv.4 1600/1500)! Thanks to Necrovalley, he gains 500 attack and defense points! Commandant, attack Ambush Soldier!"

"Heh, I activate the Trap Heroic Advance!" Takashi retaliated. "This allows me to change your attack target to another Level 4 or lower Heroic monster I've got and then double his attack points! Now you have to attack Spartan while he has 3200 attack points! However, our monsters can't be destroyed in battle this turn!"

Spartan intervened with the attack and countered Gravekeeper's Commandant's attack, inflicting 1100 points of damage to Merlin.

**Merlin (LP 2900) Takashi (LP 4000)**

"I end my turn by placing one card face-down and equipping my Commandant with Scroll of Bewitchment." Merlin said. "This allows me to change his Attribute and I choose Dark. I end my turn."

Takashi drew his next card. "Since this is my Standby Phase, I can Tribute Ambush Soldier to Special Summon 2 Heroic monsters from my hand or Graveyard! I'm bringing out Heroic Challenger-War Hammer (Lv.6 2100/1300) and Heroic Challenger-Double Lance (Lv.4 1700/900)! Now I equip War Hammer with Lightning Blade to increase his attack points by 800! War Hammer, attack his Commandant!" *If this attack connects, I'll be able to win and prove to Shroud that I'm not useless!*

"I activate the Trap Darklight!" Merlin responded. "I tribute a Dark monster with 1500 or more attack points and all monsters Special Summoned this turn are destroyed!"

Gravekeeper's Commandant exploded in a black explosion, engulfing both War Hammer and Double Lance, destroying them.

"Well, I can still have Spartan attack you directly!" Takashi stated.

Spartan thrusted his spear and stabbed Merlin in the abdomen, inflicting him with 1600 points of damage and an actual wound in his stomach.

**Merlin (LP 1300) Takashi (LP 4000)**

"What the hell just happened to you?" Takashi asked. "I thought this was just all a hologram!"

"Don't you know what happened to that friend of yours?" Merlin questioned. "When you face an Arcana, you put your life and your soul on the line. In other words, any direct damage we take is very, very real. Do you end your turn?"

"Ngh, yes!" Takashi said.

Merlin drew his next card. "I summon Gravekeeper's Descendant (Lv.4 1500/1200)! He will now attack your monster!"

Gravekeeper's Descendant destroyed Heroic Challenger-Spartan, destroying him and inflicting Takashi with 400 points of damage.

**Merlin (LP 1300) Takashi (LP 3600)**

"I end my turn by placing a card face-down." Merlin said.

Takashi was about to draw his next card.

"I activate the Trap Time Seal!" Merlin interrupted. "This prevents you from drawing cards this turn!"

Takashi growled. "I summon a monster face-down in defense mode and end my turn!"

Merlin drew his next card. "I summon Gravekeeper's Guard (Lv.4 1000/1900) and then I overlay my Level 4 Descendant and Guard to Xyz Summon Hypnosis Mage (Rank 4 2300/2100)!"

A mage wearing a black and blue cloak appeared on the field. His hands were glowing with blue-colored magic.

"Next I detach one of his Xyz Materials to change your monster's Battle Position!" Merlin said.

A blue aura surrounded Takashi's face-down monster, revealing it as another Ambush Soldier.

"I should also mention that when he's attacks or is attacked, the damage I receive from that battle is halved." Merlin stated. "Hypnosis Mage, attack his monster!"

Hypnosis Mage attacked Ambush Soldier and destroyed him, inflicting Takashi with 2300 points of damage.

**Merlin (LP 1300) Takashi (LP 1300)**

"Next, I activate the Quickplay Spell Xyz Hail!" Merlin continued. "When an Xyz Monster destroys a monster as a result of battle, you take 300 points of damage for each Rank of that Xyz Monster! Since my Mage is Rank 4, you take 1200 points of damage!"

A hail storm struck Takashi, actually hurting him and causing his shoulder to bleed from the hail's blunt force trauma.

**Merlin (LP 1300) Takashi (LP 100)**

"I end my turn." Merlin said.

Takashi was breathing heavily. *Maybe Shroud is right... maybe I am dead weight in our group. I mean, I tried to take down a member of the Arcana thinking this guy would be easy, but it's anything but. Maybe I should just accept the fact that... I'm going to die here...*

_"Fool!"_

Takashi heard a voice, but no one else other than himself and Merlin were around.

_"Don't give up so easily."_

Takashi kept looking around to find the source of the voice, but couldn't find anything.

_"In your Extra Deck, fool."_

Takashi dug through his Extra Deck and noticed that one of his cards was glowing.

"... Excalibur?" Takashi asked.

_"Fool! Of course it's me. Just because things look grim, doesn't mean you should lose confidence. And don't let that condescending lout put you down. Only you determine your own worth and no one else."_

"I got your message, but I'm still trying to grasp the fact that my card is talking to me." Takashi said.

_"Please, this is hardly the strangest thing that's happened in the last few days. Now are you going to give up like a coward... or fight on like a hero?"_

Takashi smirked and drew his next card. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw 2 more cards! I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Necrovalley! Then I summon another Heroic Challenger-Double Lance! And when he's Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon another Double Lance from my Graveyard in defense mode! Now I overlay my Level 4 Double Lances to Xyz Summon Heroic Champion-Excalibur (Rank 4 2000/2000)! Next, I activate his ability! By detaching 2 Xyz Materials, his original attack points double!"

"It's still not enough to wipe out my Life Points." Merlin stated.

"That's why I'm adding the Spell Card Heroic Chance!" Takashi added. "This doubles a Heroic monster's attack points, but it can't attack directly! Now Excalibur is packing a whopping 8000 attack points! Excalibur, to victory!"

Excalibur sliced Hypnosis Mage in half, destroying him and reducing Merlin's Life Points to 0.

**Merlin (LP 0) Takashi (LP 100)**

Takashi removed his Duel Gazer and noticed that Merlin was cut in half along the waist by Excalibur's attack.

"Heheheh." Merlin chuckled. "Very good. I'm surprised you managed to defeat me. But this isn't the last you'll see of the Arcana."

Merlin then started to disintegrate, starting from his dismembered legs.

"What's happening to you?" Takashi asked.

"I lost the Duel... and my life. I guess I'm not as talented as I thought..." Merlin responded. "Don't feel guilty about killing me, it's just how things are with the Arcana. In most cases, if we lose a Duel, we forfeit our life as well. Farewell... revel in your victory while you still can, because my comrades won't take this loss standing down."

Merlin then vanished from existence completely and suddenly, the 'I' tattoo that was on Merlin's head appeared on the back of Takashi's neck, though he wasn't aware of this. A white door then appeared behind Takashi and he went through it.

* * *

Takashi reappeared in the hospital room, which left everyone else dumbstruck.

"Takashi, how did you-" Spiral was about to say.

"I'm back." Takashi said.

"Oh..." Shroud spoke up. "So you're still alive."

"Yes, because I managed to win that Duel!" Takashi gloated. "Think I'm still just a 'guy in red'?"

"... I won't deny it... but I won't confirm it either." Shroud simply said.

"... Thanks?" Takashi responded.

"That's just his way of saying 'not anymore'." Eve said.

"Still sounded like a left-handed compliment." Spiral stated.

"Takashi, you got something on the back of your neck." Aura pointed out.

"Is it a bug?" Takashi asked.

"Hold on, let me just check." Aura responded.

"... I told you she was our McCoy." Shroud said to Eve.

"... Oh, my God..." Aura muttered.

"What is it?" Spiral asked.

Aura showed everyone the 'I' tattoo on the back of Takashi's neck.

"How did you get that? !" Eve questioned.

"Is it a legion? !" Takashi asked.

"No, it's the tattoo that was on that guy's forehead!" Valerie stated. "It's on your neck now!"

"I think I know what happened." Kokoro spoke up. "When someone with that mark is defeated or perishes, there is a chance that the mark will attempt to find a new owner. When Merlin died, that mark must have decided to pass its powers on to you."

"Oh..." Takashi simply said. "So, now what?"

"You have that mark until you lose a certain Duel or you die." Kokoro said. "That's how those marks 'behave'."

"Wait, if you said that an Arcana dies when they lose a Duel, wouldn't that mean the Arcana I fought died, too?" Spiral asked.

"It's rare, but sometimes an Arcana might end up lucky and survive the encounter with their life and powers intact." Kokoro told him. "So I don't think Luna's down for good just yet."

"Well, we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it." Naoto said. "I think we've had enough excitement for one day."

"And I'm getting my stitches taken out soon, and I don't think any of you want to be here to see that." Spiral said.

The television in the room suddenly turned on and on the screen appeared Ryu, holding a gun to a suited man's head.

_"People of the world, I'm sure you're familiar with the name of the Prophets right now."_ Ryu said. _"Unfortunately for us, our last public execution was a disaster. But that won't happen this time. May I present to you today's guest, the Prime Minister of Japan's Self-Defense Force."_

_BANG!_

Ryu shot the Prime Minister in the back of the head.

_"That was a warning to all of you."_ Ryu threatened. _"Don't interfere with the Prophets or you, and all you know you, will be killed. I do hope you all have an enjoyable evening."_

The transmission ended, leaving everyone in a state of shock.

"... I swear..." Spiral muttered. "I swear it on my life that I will take that son of a bitch down!"

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Johnny Yong Bosch **Takashi**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Lisa Ortiz **Valerie**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Kate Oxley **Luna**

Paul St. Peter **Ryu**

Josh Grelle **Merlin**

* * *

**Preview**

**Aura:** Even after everything that has happened, we still have to do finals.

**Azusa:** That's just how school systems in Japan are.

**Eve:** Yeah, it's only those schools in the U.S. that let out school during times of crisis. Remember the 9/11 disaster?

**Aura:** I think I'd like to forget that ever happened.

**Eve:** ... Maybe I should make you one of those memory erasers from _Men in Black_.

**Azusa:** Next time on Arcana of Fate! Summer Finals! I should get to studying right away.

**Eve:** I just finished.

**Azusa:** I wish we were all that smart.

* * *

**Chan and Chun's Comedy Corner**

The curtain pulls back, revealing Chan and Chun on a stage next to a microphone.

**Chan:** ... Should we really do this? A national tragedy just occurred and I don't think people are in the mood to laugh.

**Chun:** That is exactly why we need to do this! We need to cheer these people up to provide a form of escape!

**Chan:** ... But we barely have an audience. At this point, I'd even prefer it if it was just a cricket that would chirp when we tell a joke.

**Chun:** ... How. Dare. You?

**Chan:** What?

**Chun:** Don't you dare say that a small house is worse than a cricket! Not even if it's Jiminy Cricket!

**Chan:** But Sis-

**Chun:** I HAVE SPOKEN!

**Chan:** ... Good night, every-

**Chun:** NO!

Chun tackles Chan and the two ended up in a scuffle. The curtain closes.

* * *

**Merlin's Cards**

Hypnosis Mage

Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2300 DEF 2100)

Rank 4/DARK

2 Level 4 Spellcaster-type Monsters

Any Battle Damage from a battle involving this card is halved. Once per turn; You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to change the Battle Position of one monster on the field (If that monster is in face-down Defense Position, it is switched to face-up Attack Position).

Xyz Hail

Spell/Quickplay

You can only activate this card when an Xyz Monster you control destroys a monster as a result of battle. Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Rank of that Xyz Monster x300.


	14. Chapter 14: Summer Finals

**All right, here's the next chapter. Some things are going to go differently than originally planned, though none of you will catch on. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! And please review.**

* * *

It was a mid-summer's day and Spiral was about to leave the hospital after recovering from his injuries. Spiral was lifting a part of his shirt up and taking a look at what remained of the wound, which seemed to have healed up nicely, the stitches all removed and almost looked like it was completely gone.

"Wow, I'm surprised how quickly that healed." Spiral said.

Valerie and Momo then walked in.

"You guys didn't have to pick me up, you know." Spiral told them.

"We just want to make sure you get back to the Academy safely." Momo said. "The Prophets tried to take your life while you were here and you never know if they'll try to attack you again."

"Eh, good point." Spiral said. "Although I wish I came back to school at a better time. Finals are coming up. I haven't been able to study for the last few days, so I'll have to borrow notes from one of you guys. Shroud will have the most accurate, but I have a feeling there's gonna be a lot of pointless crap and written in a way that I might not understand."

"Oh yeah, don't remind me about finals." Valerie said.

"You don't even have to take them... not here, anyway." Spiral stated.

"I know, but I won't get to spend any time with you." Valerie said.

"But you'll be coming with us to the beach afterward." Spiral kneeled down and rubbed her head. "By the way, did you ask our 'other guests' if they wanted to come, too?"

"I didn't ask Sophie yet, but I did ask Karina." Valerie answered. "She wanted to stay here and look over Static while we're gone."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Momo exclaimed. "I should go out and get a new swimsuit!"

"Come on, everyone else is waiting." Valerie said.

Spiral just stood there motionless for a moment.

"Daddy, are you coming?" Valerie asked.

"Oh, right, coming." Spiral snapped out of his daze and left the room with the two girls.

* * *

Back at the Academy, Aura, Shroud, Naoto, Chan, Chun, Hikari, Takashi, Asuka, Lilith, Azusa, Kokoro and Eve were all in the student lounge, reviewing for their respective finals.

"So..." Naoto spoke up after looking at Shroud's notes. "How exactly do you get that answer? There's no step by step."

"I already know how to do this stuff, so I only write the steps when I absolutely have to, meaning school assignments." Shroud responded.

"Does anyone else have accurate notes that are easy to understand?" Naoto asked everyone.

"Sorry, but Takashi and I are in a different class AND a year below you guys." Azusa stated. "Different exams and all that."

"You can always look at mine, Naoto." Kokoro told him.

"Will your notes have lovey-dovey stuff scrawled all over it?" Eve questioned.

"No... I use a different notebook for that kind of stuff." Kokoro answered.

Spiral and Momo then entered the lounge.

"Hey, guess who's back?" Spiral asked as he entered the room.

Everyone greeted Spiral with a very positive welcome.

"How'd the stitch removal go?" Asuka asked.

"Well, to be honest I was a little scared of the doctors pulling tied up string out of my skin." Spiral responded. "Though their removal seemed to go quite smoothly."

"You know that beach vacation we're planning after school lets out?" Aura asked. "I managed to reserve rooms for us at Momohime Resort."

Takashi was drinking a can of soda, but when he heard that he immediately spat it out.

"Momohime Resort? !" Takashi exclaimed. "Are you freakin' rich or something? !"

"Yes, she is." Shroud interjected. "Her family earns somewhere between Bruce Wayne and Scrooge McDuck."

Eve had taken a bite out of a moon pie and started choking after hearing that last statement. Shroud immediately ran behind Eve and started applying the Heimlich maneuver, eventually causing Eve to cough out the piece of food she choked on and sent it flying across the room.

"... Ew." Hikari simply said.

"I don't get it." Lilith expressed. "How much money is that?"

"*cough, gasp* It's like billions of dollars a year." Eve answered.

"Holy crap!" Naoto shouted. "You mean for two years, Spiral's been living with billionaires? !"

"You really are a lucky bastard." Takashi added. "Anyway, I can't wait to see you girls in swimsuits."

"Do you think Sophie and Valerie will come, too?" Chan asked.

"I think Valerie is asking her right now." Spiral said. "We don't know anything about Sophie, but how can she say 'no' to a fascinating resort?"

* * *

"No." Sophie said.

Valerie and Sophie were in the secret library.

"Why?" Valerie asked. "It's not going to affect our time in any way."

"I don't know everything my family did before I was born, but there exists the possibility that they could be staying at that hotel during your father's stay." Sophie rebutted. "And I'm still mad that you let that slip out."

"They would find out eventually!" Valerie said. "I'm pretty sure when they faced against the Prophets, the beans would be spilled anyway! The only thing they know is that I'm Spiral's daughter in 26 years and that's it. When they pressed me to ask about my mom, I kept my mouth shut. Eve even wanted to take a sample of my DNA to scan."

"Did you give her DNA?"

"No."

"Did she pull out one of your hairs?"

"No."

"Did she keep a cup you had your mouth on?"

"... I don't know."

"Dammit, it's only a matter of time."

"And luck. I just hope she hasn't done that... or taken my DNA while I was sleeping. I mean, she knows we stay in here. Anyway, back to the original conversation, just come with us to the beach. It'll be a lot of fuuun."

"The answer is still 'no'."

Valerie thought for a moment before saying something. "When was the last time you had a break?"

"... I don't know. It's been a while... I see what you're doing."

"What?"

"We both know that stress can kill if one doesn't take the time to relax. And it has been quite some time since I last took a break... I mean, I spent most of my preadolescence working on my doctoral dissertation. And I have the Ph.D. to prove it."

"12 years old and you already have a Ph.D... You sure are something else."

"Now that I think about it, I didn't have that much time to relax whereas right now I can spend as much time as I want... Maybe it is time to 'kick back' for the first time in years. Very well then, I accept your invitation to the beach."

"All right!" Valerie jumped with joy. "... We should probably get swimsuits. I know Momo's planning to get some sometime this week."

"Doesn't she have final exams to study for?"

"Everyone needs to take a break from studying."

"It's true... my father didn't need to study a whole lot to do well. I get my brain from him... and my name."

"Yeah, your other siblings have Japanese names and you're all half-Japanese and half-white."

"... I do wonder what they're doing right now... Oh, wait, duh, time travel, when we head back we go to the original time and date we left from."

* * *

The next day, a little while after classes, Ms. Krystal was walking through the school's courtyard and stops when she notices Spiral sitting on a bench looking through a textbook and a notebook.

"You're quite the studious one, I see." Ms. Krystal said as she walked up to him.

Spiral turned his head to see Ms. Krystal walking up from behind him.

"Well, I'm always interested in learning new things." Spiral said. "Though at some point in my life, I'm going to need a job and the better I do in school, the better jobs that become available to me."

"I guess Shroud's rubbing off on you, huh?" Ms. Krystal commented.

"Actually, this is how I've always been." Spiral pointed out. "When I grew up with Momo, her family acted as our school... and when Aura took me in for two years, she let me come to her tutoring lessons with her."

"Sounds like you have some great friends." Ms. Krystal said. "I remember still remember hanging out with my friends a few years ago. We had a lot of great times together and I find myself wondering what they've been up to lately."

"... Can I ask you something a bit more personal?" Spiral asked.

"I don't know." Ms. Krystal said. "Only unless you really want to talk about. If it's uncomfortable for you, just let it go. I won't pry."

"Well... there's this girl-" Spiral was about to say.

"LOVE PROBLEMS?! Oh goodie!" Ms. Krystal said clapping as she took a seat right next to Spiral. "I mean-uh-I can help with that."

"To be honest... there are three girls."

"Wow! You're a womanizer? Who knew?"

"No, never. Nothing like that. I mean, at one point I had feelings for all three, but recently I realized who out of the three I wanted."

"Uh-huh." Ms. Krystal rested her head over her hand and listened carefully.

"The problem is I don't know how the other girls might take it. I'm afraid that if I finally admit these feelings, they'll be hurt. And that's the last thing that I want. I don't like seeing anybody get hurt. Especially if it's caused by me. I'm not sure what I should do."

Ms. Krystal nodded. "Suck it up."

Spiral stared at her with confusion. "Wha-what?"

"Be a man!" Ms. Krystal said. "Suck it up and get on with it."

"That's...not the advice I was hoping to hear."

"Oh I'm sorry, were you hoping for advice on how to make everyone happy and live happily ever after?" Ms. Krystal asked. Her mocking tone felt insulting. "Spiral, there is no way out of this without someone getting a broken heart. The best thing for you to do is talk to these girls and hope that they are mature enough to understand. They might not like it, but the world is like that."

"Wow, that's depressing." Spiral said. "I'm not so sure about any of this now."

Ms. Krystal stretched her arms out and held them behind her head. "Ya know?" Ms. Krystal said. "I can relate to your little love square."

"...How so?" Spiral asked.

Ms. Krystal looked up at the sky and saw a white, fluffy cloud. "Well three girls loved one guy. One girl stayed close to him and eventually married him. One accidentally kissed him, caused a lot of confusion for her feelings. But the third girl...she never told him. From the moment they met, the girl had a crush on him, but she knew he was meant for one of the other girls, so she never interfered. She always regrets not making a move...but in way...she's also happy she didn't."

"...Ms...Ms. Krystal?" Spiral interrupted. "How will this help my problem?"

Ms. Krystal chuckled. "It doesn't." She said. "I'm just sharing my personal experience with you."

"Well which of the girls were you?" Spiral asked.

Ms. Krystal turned her head and smiled at him "I could tell you." she said. "But then I'll have to kiss you."

Spiral fell off the bench. Ms. Krystal laughed at his reaction as he got up, holding his nose.

"It's 'I'll have to KILL you' not 'I'll have to KISS you!" Spiral said.

"Not the way I do it sweetie." Ms. Krystal said with a wink. She sat up from the bench and looked at him. "Good luck with your girls." She then turned to walk away.

"Wait." Spiral said stopping her. "You said that one girl married that guy. What happend to the other two?"

"One married his brother. As for the other..." Ms. Krystal answered. Then she turnd around with a bright smile. "Every year that guy has a Christmas at his house. The girl goes every year and always-ALWAYS catches him under the mistletoe."

Ms. Krystal walked away and Spiral scratched his head.

* * *

Back in the student lounge, everyone had gathered to study again.

"Takashi, no." Azusa said.

"What harm can it do?" Takashi questioned.

"You're not going to cheat by putting cheat sheets underneath your clothes!" Azusa scolded.

"Why should it matter as long as I know the answers?" Takashi asked.

"It spits in the face of academic honesty." Shroud stated. "Eve, help me out here."

Eve said nothing, though. In fact, she didn't respond at all.

"Eve?" Shroud tried to get her attention.

"... Huh..." Eve muttered.

"You've been acting strange." Shroud said. "Are you ill?"

"Huh? No." Eve answered. "I'm just... thinking is all. Minds like ours are always trying to figure out how the universe functions."

_(Begin Flashback)_

_Eve was in her home's bedroom, placing a strand of hair in a machine's console._

_"That was too easy." Eve said. "Taking Valerie's towel after she dried herself off from her bath was genius. Now... to figure out who the mother is by matching her strand of hair with the Spiral's prospective suitors."_

_Eve pressed several keys on her computer and several things came up._

_"... Well this is strange... It won't read the DNA in her hair... Very interesting..."_

_(End Flashback)_

*I wonder...* Eve thought. *It might be possible that because Valerie exists in our time, her final DNA structure is still yet to be determined. I guess the only way we'll be able to find out now is by waiting for it to happen in the present.*

"Come on, Eve, focus!" Shroud spoke. "The final exams start tomorrow! I know you're almost as brilliant as I am, but we still need to study to review the necessary materials!"

"R... right..." Eve responded.

* * *

The following week, all of the students took their exams. Some students found them easy, some found them fairly challenging... others thought it was God's or Buddha's way of punishing them. At the end of the following week, the scores were finally posted up. Spiral and his friends were standing in front of the board where the test scores were posted.

"Let's see..." Spiral mumbled. "Where is our class?"

"Found it!" Shroud said. "Not surprising I have the highest score."

"Look again." Eve pointed at the board again.

Shroud looked at the board and noticed that Eve's name was right under his... tied for first.

"What was that BS about 'I'm not as smart as you'?" Eve asked with a smirk.

"Where's your score, Spiral?" Aura asked.

"In the top 10." Spiral said. "Along with you girls."

"Eh, I'm right below that." Naoto said. "Hey, Kokoro's tied with me."

"How'd you do Asuka?" Spiral inquired.

"Not like you guys, that's for sure." Asuka responded.

Aura looked closely at the board. "But it seems you managed to at least pass your exams. That's good."

"I guess the only score we've yet to see is Lilith's." Spiral assumed. Spiral took a look at the posting and the expression on his face changed completely. "... You got the lowest score in the class?"

"Yep." Lilith said without a care in the world.

"You do realize that means you'll have to go to summer school, right?" Eve asked.

"What's 'summer school'?" Lilith asked.

"It means instead of taking a vacation, you have to take the class over during the summer to make up for the poor grade." Spiral answered. "I guess this means you won't be going to the beach with us."

"... Why didn't anyone tell me this?!" Lilith asked.

"The principal should have told you when she enrolled you here." Eve stated.

Azusa and Takashi come by.

"Hey, guys." Takashi greeted. "How're your scores?"

"Everyone seemed to do well." Momo answered.

"Except for Lilith." Hikari added.

"How did you guys do?" Spiral asked.

"That's why we're here." Azusa told them.

Azusa and Takashi looked at the posting and found their class.

"There I am!" Azusa exclaimed. "I'm... the top score?!"

"Wow! That's amazing, Azusa!" Spiral congratulated.

"And I seriously lucked out." Takashi said with a false grin. "I have the lowest score of all the passing students in my class. But hey, at least I passed and I get to see you girls in swimsuits! Man, I can't wait!"

"Yeah, I can't wait for the trip either." Spiral expressed before thinking. *And it'll be there that I'll finally let her know that she's the one.*

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Lisa Ortiz **Valerie**

Cassandra Lee **Sophie**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Johnny Yong Bosch **Takashi**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Wendee Lee **Ms. Krystal**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

Alison Viktorin **Chan/Chun**

* * *

**Preview**

**Takashi:** I can't wait! The girls will all be in swimsuits! It'll be a dream come true! And Ms. Krystal's coming along, too! I bet her swimsuit will be the best of all!

**Naoto:** I have a girlfriend. I have a girlfriend. I have a girlfriend.

**Spiral:** I do hope this trip goes well.

**Naoto:** Of course it will go well. How could it go wrong?

**Spiral:** It's just... it's just this weird feeling I have. Next time on Arcana of Fate, Spiral's Choice.

**Takashi:** At least come for the girls in swimsuits! You won't regret it!

* * *

**Chan and Chun's Comedy Corner**

A curtain opens and reveals Chan and Chun standing on a stage in front of a microphone.

**Chan:** Sorry about last time. My sister went ballistic on me.

**Chun:** You deserved it.

**Chan:** Anyway, since we passed out exams in the top 5 in our class, I say we do a academic achievement joke. And boy, do I got one.

**Chun:** ... *whispers to audience* This might not be good, people...

**Chan:** What do you call a graduate student who falls down a hill? ... An 'On a roll'...

**Chun:** ... I don't get it.

**Chan:** The actual term is 'honor roll', but I used a play on words to make a joke.

**Chun:** ... It's still not funny.

**Chan:** Everyone's a critic.

**Chun:** I'm sorry for the disappointment, people. Good night and we'll have better jokes next time.


	15. Chapter 15: Spiral's Choice

**I would like to thank lordsoftheroses for once again assisting me with this chapter. And a fair word of warning: There'll be quite a bit of fan service, of that I can absolutely assure you. I hope you all enjoy, which I'm sure you will!**

* * *

Spiral and most of his other friends, including Valerie and Sophie, were all bringing their bags to the school's parking lot.

"I still can't believe Ms. Krystal agreed to come with us all to the beach." Shroud expressed.

"Yeah, I mean, how is she going to pack all..." Asuka said before counting each person. "13 of us? And that doesn't even include Ms. Krystal and Principal Pulse."

Just then a large trailer pulled into the parking lot, commandeered by Pulse in the driver's seat and Ms. Krystal in the passenger seat next to her.

"Did everyone bring along everything they'll need?" Pulse asked.

Everyone started to enter the large trailer and were amazed with the interior of the thing. It was luxurious, complete with a small kitchen, a couch and an eating table.

"Holy crap, did you pay for this, too, Aura?" Takashi asked.

"Why yes, I did." Aura answered. "Or more accurately, my family did."

"I could get used to this." Eve said as she tossed her bag next to the couch and laid back on it, placing her arms behind her head and simply relaxing.

"Can I drive there?" Ms. Krystal asked Pulse.

"I don't see why not." Pulse responded.

Pulse stepped out of the driver's seat, which Ms. Krystal gladly took and Pulse sat down in the passenger's seat.

"Is everybody inside?" Pulse asked everyone else. "All of your belongings are on board?"

Everyone nodded in confirmation.

"That's your cue." Pulse said to Ms. Krystal.

"Heh heh heh!" Ms. Krystal snickered. With an evil gleam in her eyes, Ms. Krystal threw the RV into reverse and slammed on the gas. The RV Throttled backward and slammed into a parked car, smashing it in half. Ms. Krystal then switched it into drive and sped off out of the parking lot, slamming through the half closed gates going on just above 90 MPH. Within 10 minutes of what was supposed to be a couple hour drive, they had reached their destination. When Ms. Krystal finally stopped, on a complete dime, and she sighed with satisfaction. "Phew, we're here!" Ms. Krystal happily and causally said with a smile.

However, everyone else wasn't in the mood to smile. In fact, they were all latching onto something and had expressions on their faces that one would have after surviving a roller coaster ride gone horribly wrong.

"... Wow..." Valerie said in awe as she looked at the hotel.

It was a beautiful, tall building that must have been at least 20 stories high. The beach that laid in front of the building was a sparkling, crystal blue and the palm trees and sand made the place even more beautiful than it already was. It was as if they had arrived in the penultimate paradise.

* * *

In the hotel lobby, while the adults were requesting their rooms the others were deciding which rooms they would be staying in.

"Okay..." Shroud muttered. "I assume that the twins are going to stay in the same room together."

"The two of us can sleep in the same bed." Chan stated.

"Yeah, we're small." Chun added. "We can make room for another person or two."

"I vote that Naoto and I share a room." Kokoro spoke up.

"Okay, and the only guys left are myself, Takashi and Spiral." Shroud stated. "I assume that the three of us are all staying in the same room."

"Actually, I'd rather have my own room." Spiral said.

"Okay, I think I have enough to go on." Shroud said. "All right, in room 1 we have Spiral, myself and Takashi..."

"Great." Takashi groaned.

"In room 2 will have Momo, Hikari and Aura, the adults will share room 3, Valerie, Sophie and the twins have room 4 and Naoto and Kokoro have room 5, leaving Asuka, Eve and Azusa with room 6." Shroud finished.

"Can Aura even afford six rooms here?" Asuka asked.

"Actually, I can." Aura responded.

"I will hand the room assignments to Principal Pulse and Ms. Krystal immediately." Shroud said as he got up and walked over to the registration counter that Ms. Krystal and Pulse were standing in front of.

"I say that we check into our rooms, change into our swimsuits and head out to the beach!" Takashi suggested. "Man, I can't wait to see all of you guys in swimsuits! But it's a shame that Lilith won't be coming with us. With that bod of hers, I'm sure she would look so hot that I would die from that nosebleed."

"Pervert..." Azusa mumbled.

* * *

Spiral, Shroud and Takashi had settled into the room. The room was pretty fancy. Spiral and Shroud had already changed and left, but Takashi stayed behind and was practicing tae kwon do in his birthday suit.

"Hwaaaah! Once those lovely ladies get a look at my tae kwon do, they'll fall head over heels for me. Hyyaaaah!"

After a few minutes of practicing, he pulled a muscle.

"All right, I think that's enough of that. Now where are those swimming trunks?"

Takashi searched his bag, but couldn't find him.

"Now where did I put those? Maybe my other bag?"

Before he began to check his other bag, he heard the door to the room open.

"Hey, Spiral, are you in he-" Azusa entered the room and saw Takashi as he was.

"AH!" Takashi squealed and turned into chipped stone.

Azusa became flushed and was about to scream.

*No! Don't scream!* Takashi shouted in his mind. *The girls already think I'm a big pervert! She walked in on ME! If she screams, everyone will get the wrong idea! Oh crap! What am I going to do?!*

Takashi quickly lunged at Azusa, covers her mouth with his hand, takes her hand and holds it behind her back, creating a very awkward pose between the two.

*Great! So now what?!* Takashi continued to think.

Azusa's angry verbal assaults were muffled by his hand as she tried to struggle away from him.

*I didn't mean for things to turn out like this!* Takashi cried in his head. *Geez, I'm a moron! Her squirming around isn't making things any easier! Better explain it to her that this was all just a big mistake. I need to quiet her down first, but how do I do that?* Takashi leans against her ear and speaks in the creepiest way possible. "You better keep quiet!"

Azusa became angry and now her muffles were angry scream muffles.

*What was I thinking?!* Takashi thought again. *Shutting her up by being as creepy as possible! God!*

"Azusa, is everything all right?"

*Crap! It's someone else! Now I'm a goner!* Takashi screamed in his head.

Eve then came into the room through the open door and saw the two in their incredibly awkward position as the two stared at her. Eve stared at them for a long time, giving Takashi a very uncomfortable feeling.

Eve clapped her fist against her palm. "Wait, don't tell me. You took off your clothes and went to find your swimming trunks. You walked all over, couldn't find them and Azusa walked in. You tried to explain yourself, she got scared and your infinite wisdom led us to where we are now. Don't worry, Takashi. I don't think you're a pervert. But I do think you're a complete screw-up."

Takashi begins crying with joy. "Ahahaha! Thank you!"

* * *

Later at the beach, the guys were all dressed up in their swim trunks. Naoto's was a dark blue, Shroud had an orange pair, Spiral had a violet pair with blue streaks on the sides and Takashi had a pair of red and green trunks.

"I can't believe you're actually wearing those trunks." Spiral said to Takashi.

"I know." Naoto agreed. "They're so ugly. Don't tell me you plan to pick up chicks in those trunks."

Takashi simply ignored them. "Where are those girls? How long does it take for them to get dressed?"

"Women typically take a lot longer than men." Shroud stated. "Not just in the case of putting on clothes, but using the restroom as well. That's why there's a line for the girls' restroom as our school."

"Yay, it's time to play!"

Spiral and the others looked over to see Valerie running over to them, wearing a violet one-piece swimsuit. She was followed by the twins, both wearing red and pink one-piece suits with small white frills on the edges, and Sophie, who was wearing a light purple one-piece.

"Oh my God, you all look so cute!" Spiral exclaimed.

"Thanks, that's what I was going for." Valerie replied with a smile.

"You all do look cute, but what I'm really waiting for are the other girls." Takashi said.

"NAAAOOOTOOO!"

Everyone looked over to see Kokoro running toward them, waving her arm and wearing a cherry blossom pink microkini (a very skimpy bikini). Naoto's entire face turned red seeing her wearing that suit.

"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!" Takashi got excited.

"How do you think I look, Naoto?" Kokoro asked.

"Uh... uh..." Naoto was still red in the face. "Amazing. You really pull that off!"

"Thanks, that means a lot hearing that from you." Kokoro responded.

Spiral looked at Naoto and Kokoro and couldn't help but notice how happy they look together, which made him smile a little bit.

"Wait, I just realized something." Spiral said, turning his head to Valerie and Sophie. "Those suits you're wearing are ones you got at the store with everyone else, right?"

"Yes." Sophie nodded. "Although we just wanted something we felt comfortable in. Almost everyone else wanted to find a swimsuit that'll impress the guys in our group. Mostly you."

"I can probably guess who and for whom." Spiral said.

"We're here!"

Spiral looked over toward the source of the voice and instantly started blushing. Approaching them were Momo, Aura and Hikari all in lovely bikinis. Momo wore a string bikini that was black and slightly revealing, Aura's bikini consisted a yellow top with a pink bottom, neither was revealing much, and Hikari's was an attractive cyan color and about as revealing as Momo's. All of them pulled off their respective swimsuits perfectly, without a single fault to find.

"How do we look, Spiral?" Aura inquired.

"I suppose you're having naughty thoughts right now." Hikari chuckled. "Not that I don't mind."

"You all look amazing." Spiral told them. "I don't think I could find a better-looking group of girls than you."

"So, which of us looks the best?" Momo asked.

"... Huh?" Spiral reacted.

"Which of us has the best looking body and swimsuit, of course." Hikari clarified as she walked up to Spiral and seductively touched his chin with her hand. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if it was me."

Spiral's blushing seemed like it was getting worse.

"Spiral, you've got nothing to do tonight, right?" Hikari asked in a seductive tone. "Maybe I should come over later tonight and we could... make a baby?"

Spiral's face became completely red and he fell over.

"Hikari, that's going too far!" Momo shouted.

"Like you didn't have the same idea in your head?" Hikari guessed.

"Yeah, but at least my thoughts involved contraceptives!" Momo argued.

"... Excuse me?" Spiral asked, still lying on the sand.

Azusa and Eve then come by, wearing a grey one-piece and a beige one-piece respectively.

"Wow, things sure sound lively." Eve commented.

"Why's Spiral lying on the ground?" Azusa wondered.

"I'm... just feeling kind of hot right now..." Spiral responded.

"You kids all getting along?" Ms. Krystal came by wearing a black bikini and a see-through cloth wrapped around her waist so you could see her bikini bottom. Her waist and bosom were sculpted like a Greek goddess. The air sparkled around her just by the aura on her sensuality. In many males' minds, she was without a doubt the perfect woman visually and all the other girls just felt inadequate seeing her. She noticed Spiral and leaned over him. "What are you doing on the ground?"

Spiral had to look up at her and saw only her ample bosom right by his face. "Suffocating..."

"Oh dear, you need mouth to mouth?" Ms. Krystal asked. She quickly kneeled down beside him and put her hands on his chest and began CPR. "1, 2, 3!" She then put her hands around his head and kept his mouth part way open, leaned her head in close and-

Ms. Krystal was quickly pulled off of Spiral by Momo and Hikari.

"MS. KRYSTAL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Momo asked.

"YEAH! IF ANYONE GIVES SPIRAL MOUTH TO MOUTH, IT'S GONNA BE ME!" Hikari shouted.

Ms. Krystal looked at both of them, puzzled. "What's the big deal?" Ms. Krystal asked. "I was only trying to help."

"Wait, wasn't Asuka staying in your room?" Aura asked Eve and Azusa.

"Well, she was a bit nervous about her swimsuit." Azusa responded.

"Why would she be nervous?" Aura asked.

"Sorry I took so long." Asuka's voice sounded off.

Everyone looked over and saw Asuka wearing a turquoise bikini. It wasn't particularly revealing, but there was some slight cleavage that could be seen. This was the first time anyone has seen enough of her body to get a good idea of her figure. She appeared to be well-toned with luscious legs and her breasts appeared to be just as big as Hikari's.

"... What's with all the stares?" Asuka asked.

"It's just..." Spiral spoke as he got up. "I never really saw you as a bikini person."

"I used to own a one-piece, but when I got wet, it felt slimy against my stomach." Asuka told him. "So I got myself a bikini that wouldn't be considered revealing. Anyway, I can't wait to go in the water!"

Asuka immediately ran to the ocean with everyone else following shortly thereafter.

* * *

Shroud and Eve were busy building a sand castle. More precisely, they were attempting to build a sand replica of the Roman Colosseum.

"You haven't gone in the water yet." Eve pointed out.

"I can't swim." Shroud said. "I'd rather just play in the sand. The only form of artistry I find interest in."

"Don't you want to learn how to swim?" Eve asked. "Knowing how to swim has both recreational and practical benefits."

"You make an excellent point." Shroud said. "Maybe I can ask one of the guys to teach me."

"Why can't I teach you?" Eve questioned. "I know how to swim very well. And it might be interesting to learn from the opposite sex."

"... I don't get what that last part has to do with swimming, but all right." Shroud responded. "I accept your offer."

"Great, let's get started now!" Eve smiled as she grabbed Shroud's wrist and pulled him toward the water.

"W-wait, now?!" Shroud exclaimed. "But our Colosseum, it's not finished!"

"The real one's deteriorated anyway." Eve stated. "Come on!"

"No, help me, I'm drowning!" Shroud yelled with his eyes closed.

"Shroud, the water's not even at your ankles." Eve pointed out.

Shroud opened his eyes and noticed he was only at the edge of the shoreline.

"Don't worry about drowning." Eve assured him. "I'll be holding onto you the whole time." Eve went deeper into the water and held onto Shroud's wrist.

She was taller than Shroud, so when they got to the part of the water that was deep enough to submerge his chin.

"We'll start out here." Eve said, holding onto both of Shroud's wrists. "This will help you understand the basics safely. Most importantly, you need to make sure that everything above your neck or chin is above the water's surface, obviously. Try using your arms and legs like paddles to keep yourself afloat."

Shroud did exactly as she said and he was keeping his head above the water... to a degree. "Heh, look at me! I'm swimming!"

*Yeah, he calls staying afloat in shallow water 'swimming'.* Eve laughed in her head. "You can't officially swim until you can do so in any size of water. So let's go a little bit further out, okay?"

* * *

Valerie and Sophie were over by a very rocky area, casting out fishing rods.

"Come on, fish." Valerie said. "Come to me and be our free dinner. Maybe we'll catch a lobster."

"I find that unlikely." Sophie spoke.

"One can only hope. Especially considering the price of lobster on the hotel restaurant's menu."

"... Valerie, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you for a while. When you first saw your father in this time period... how did you react on the inside?"

"... I guess I don't know... I never put much thought into it. I guess... relieved and amazed. He's my hero... It was as if even if I haven't been born yet, I can still count on him to still look out for me."

"... Sometimes... during my time traveling trips to this time... I check up on my family... it feels like it's been so long since we got stuck here. I miss Mom, Dad, my brother and sisters and Aunt Yuki all so much. If you weren't here right now, I wouldn't know how to cope being stuck in this time. Actually, I would have been dead. Thank you, Valerie."

"That's what friends are for, Sophie... Now let's get back to fishing. We can't let them get away with our bait now, can we?"

* * *

Somewhere else on the beach, Naoto and Kokoro were lying on their backs on a towel, enjoying the shade provided by the nearby umbrella and palm tree.

"Hey Naoto?" Kokoro spoke up.

Naoto looked over to see Kokoro was now lying on her stomach.

"Could you help me apply sunscreen to my back?" Kokoro requested. "I can't reach that far."

"Uh, y-yeah." Naoto responded as he picked up a bottle of sunscreen and squirted a bit on his hand.

When Kokoro untied the back of her bikini top, Naoto's face instantly became flushed rubbing the sunscreen over her bare back did nothing to alleviate that flushing; in fact, his face was about as red as a cherry. However, Naoto then noticed that his face wasn't the only one turning red. Kokoro was blushing as he touched her back. After he finished applying the sunscreen to her back, Kokoro tied her bikini top back on and sat up.

"Thank you." Kokoro said, looking deeply into Naoto's eyes.

"No problem." Naoto said.

"Naoto... even after everything I did... Do you still like me?"

"Of course I do. I like you very much."

"Good because... I like you very much, too... I might..." Kokoro said before starting to mumble something. "... even go further than that..."

"Huh?"

"Oh, I-it's nothing." Kokoro said before giving him a kiss on the cheek. She immediately blushed when she realized she did that. "I-I'm sorry about that."

"D-don't worry about. Actually, I don't mind at all."

They gazed at each other's faces for a moment and then Kokoro leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Her kissing was soft, gentle and passionate. Naoto almost immediately started kissing her back in the same way.

* * *

Elsewhere on the beach, Takashi was simply walking around.

"I wonder where all the hot women are..." Takashi muttered to himself.

He stopped when he saw Azusa standing near the water, who turned her head toward him. There was then a very awkward silence between the two.

"... Takashi..." Azusa simply spoke.

"... Azusa..." Takashi simply responded.

After more awkward silence, Takashi continued to walk and Azusa continued to stare off into the beautiful ocean.

* * *

Over at a very secluded alcove of the beach surrounded by high rocks, Asuka was meditating on one of the flat rocks. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and looked off into the ocean.

"I love water..." Asuka said to herself.

Asuka quickly looked around as if she was checking that there was no one around, which no one was.

"I guess I'm far enough away from people..."

Asuka began to take her bikini off and dove into the ocean. She swam around and seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Now there's nothing separating my entire being from the water. That's the one thing I hate about bathing suits. Glad no one else is here. If the others found out I like to skinny dip, they'd get the wrong idea."

Asuka continued to swim around that small area, enjoying the seclusion it provided.

* * *

At the area of the beach in front of the resort, Spiral, Momo, Aura and Hikari were all playing beach ball, bouncing the ball around to one another.

"You know, this is the first break we've gotten since... ever." Spiral stated as he bounced the ball to Hikari.

"That's not entirely true." Hikari said as she bounced the ball to Aura. "What about the school field trip last fall?"

Aura bounced the ball to Momo. "That wasn't exactly relaxing since we got drunk and you and Spiral almost did it before either of you were ready." Aura pointed out.

Momo bounced the ball to Hikari. "I'm just glad we can relax after everything that's happened." Momo expressed.

Hikari bounced the ball to Spiral. "I still can't believe that Spiral's future daughter is actually here with us."

"No kidding." Spiral said as he bounced the ball to Momo.

"I just wonder who her mother is" Momo said as she bounced the ball to Aura.

"I know, I'm very curious myself." Aura stated as she bounced the ball to Spiral.

"I think we all know who the mother is." Hikari said.

Spiral caught the ball with his hands. "What do you mean?"

"Spiral..." Hikari chuckled. "We got a sample of each other that one night, but we're tempted to actually dine on it."

"So what you're saying is that you think you're the mother just because you and Spiral want to have the sex that you intended to have and failed to do?" Aura asked.

"... Pretty much, yes." Hikari answered.

"... That is the most ridiculous assumption I've ever heard." Aura said. "For all you know, I could be the mother."

"On what grounds could you be the mother?" Hikari questioned.

"Girls, stop fighting!" Spiral shouted. "I hate to see you guys fight, even if it's over me. Hikari, you ,of all people I know, hate fighting. So why are you fighting?"

"I... I don't know..." Hikari responded. "Maybe I love you so much that I don't care if I fight. God, I feel like such a hypocrite right now..."

"You know what?" Momo placed her hand on Hikari's shoulder. "You know that now, so you can avoid it next time."

"Th... thank you, Momo." Hikari said. "I can't believe you actually tried to cheer me up."

"I think we should stop fighting from now on and when Spiral makes his decision, we should just accept and respect his decision." Momo stated. "Do you agree, Aura?"

"Y-yes." Aura nodded.

"Actually... there's something I've been meaning to talk to you all about..." Spiral spoke up. "... But it can wait until later. Let's just keep having fun and take our mind off things, okay?"

"Okay." The girls all responded.

The four of them continued to play beach ball until dusk.

* * *

Later that evening, Spiral was walking down the resort hallway, wearing his normal clothes, until he stopped at a vending machine to get a soda. Spiral put money into the machine and chose his soda which dispersed out of the machine. Spiral reached into the slot to grab it, when a foot stomped on his wrist and had his hand stuck in the slot.

"Having fun Kiddo?" A familiar voice asked. Spiral looked up and saw that it was Raza.

"What do you want now?" Spiral asked.

"You guys looked liked you were having so fun I was thinking of joining you." Raza responded. "But then I realized that your definition of 'fun' is different from mine."

"Maybe you can go out to sea and drown?" Spiral said.

"I did once, didn't care much for it." Raza said. "And that was a very dark comment. There might be some hope for you yet."

As Raza patted Spiral on the head, Spiral yanks his arm out of the machine and holds his wrist.

"Why are you here now?" Spiral asked.

"I thought I'd just be a friend and warn you that a member of the Arcana is nearby." Raza told him. "The Priestess."

"Oh yeah, where was your warning when the Magician tried to kill me?" Spiral asked.

"'Cause it was too fun to watch. I was actually cheering for him, hoping he would succeed."

"Whatever, I got a big day tomorrow." Spiral turned around to leave.

"Going to talk to the love of your life, huh? You are an evil, evil man."

Spiral stopped and turned around at Raza, who was now drinking the soda Spiral got out of the vending machine.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Spiral asked.

"You're just gonna go up to those three girls and tell the one you have feelings for that you have feelings for them. That is very evil. You're going to these three girls who all have feelings for you and you're just going to break their heart. That is incredibly selfish. You do not even care about their feelings."

"That's bullshit! You think I wanna do this?!"

"Of course you do! You want to be happy with that one girl! Why else would you do this at all? ... And I am amazed that you'd be so cold-hearted to these girls. I mean, you're going to show your love for one right in front of the other two. During our little team-up here, I was going to mess with those girls' feelings for ya and create chaos in your ranks, just for fun. But you're gonna do that for me."

"Well, okay, Dr. Phil, what do you suggest I do?!"

"You honestly want the best scenario for everyone?" Raza asked and he looked at Spiral to get an honest answer, but Spiral said nothing. "... You have... to let go... of all of them."

Spiral looked down, almost sad-like.

"By letting go of all three girls, they will not feel inferior to whoever you were going to choose, and therefore, keep their pride." Raza stated. "They might hate you for a little while, maybe a long while, but they will be able to move on and so will you." Raza then took out his knife and then cut the change input slot of the vending machine and a bunch of soda cans came pouring out. "You're welcome."

Raza then disappeared behind his green flames, leaving Spiral alone to his newfound thoughts. Spiral picked up one of the soda cans and simply looked at it for a moment before walking away. Spiral was walking down the hallway when one of the doors opened and Ms. Krystal came out wearing a robe.

"Spiral, I heard a lot of noise. Is everything all right?" She asked.

Spiral just looked at her and remembered the advice she gave.

_(Begin Flashback)_

_"Be a man!" Ms. Krystal said. "Suck it up and get on with it."_

_"That's...not the advice I was hoping to hear."_

_"Oh I'm sorry, were you hoping for advice on how to make everyone happy and live happily ever after?" Ms. Krystal asked. Her mocking tone felt insulting. "Spiral, there is no way out of this without someone getting a broken heart. The best thing for you to do is talk to these girls and hope that they are mature enough to understand. They might not like it, but the world is like that."_

_(End Flashback)_

"No, everything's fine..." Spiral responded. "The vending machine broke and there's soda all over the floor."

"Oh, all right then, good night." Ms. Krystal said before going back into her room.

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Cassandra Lee **Sophie**

Lisa Ortiz **Valerie**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Johnny Yong Bosch **Takashi**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Wendee Lee **Ms. Krystal**

Kate Higgins **Pulse**

Doug Erholtz **Raza**

* * *

**Preview**

**Spiral:** ... I don't know what I should do anymore... And things are getting worse by the minute... A member of the Arcana is coming... and I've lost any sense of joy... then again, maybe I don't deserve it... next time on Arcana of Fate, The Priestess.


	16. Chapter 16: The High Priestess

**The next chapter is up! Prepare to be emotionally wrecked this chapter, though of course I won't spoil how. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Valerie, Sophie, Chan and Chun were all in their room wearing their summer pajamas, which were just thin shirts and shorts.

"I had so much fun at the beach today!" Valerie smiled.

"It's been a long time since we had a vacation like this!" Chan stated.

"This place is awesome!" Chan shouted.

"It feels so nice to just relax every once in a while." Sophie spoke. "No time traveling, no Prophets, no worries. Right, Valerie?"

Valerie didn't respond.

"Valerie?" Sophie looked at Valerie.

Valerie cradled her stomach and fell to the ground.

"Valerie!" Sophie ran to her side. "Valerie, what's wrong? Was it something you ate?"

"N-no..." Valerie groaned. She looked like she was in a lot of pain. "I don't feel... something's very wrong..."

"What do you mean?" Sophie inquired.

"I felt this sensation once before, but it wasn't this bad." Valerie stated.

* * *

Spiral was walking down the hall, Raza's words from their last encounter ringing and repeating through his head. He was about to pass the room belonging to the three girls when Hikari came out.

"Oh, Spiral, there you are." Hikari greeted.

"Yeah..." Spiral responded. "I was just over by the soda machine."

"I heard a noise over there. Is everything all right?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, the machine just broke, now there's cans of soda all over the floor." Spiral answered.

"... Is everything okay?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine." Spiral answered.

"... Something's wrong, isn't there? You're not speaking in your usual tone. In fact, you sound kind of sad. What's wrong?"

Spiral looked down. "... Do you really want to know? Even though you won't like it?"

"I care about you, Spiral. Of course I want to know."

"... You know how you girls like me?"

"It's much more than that, Spiral. At least I can say that for myself."

"Then you're definitely not going to like what I'm going to say next... I think you should all just... give up on me..."

"... W-what? I-I don't understand."

"You might hate me for a while... but this might be for the best..."

"... Spiral... please tell me you're joking..." Hikari's eyes started to tear up. "... Tell me that you're just playing some asinine joke!"

Spiral said absolutely nothing, not even daring to look Hikari in the eye.

"... Spiral... why? ... What's making you say this?" Tears started falling from Hikari's face. "Was it something I did? Just tell me what I did wrong and I'll try to make it up to you! Please, just... please!"

Hikari fell to the floor and just broke down. The room door opened up again and Momo and Aura came out.

"Hikari, what's wrong?" Aura asked.

"Ask him!" Hikari pointed at Spiral. "Tell them! ... Tell them everything you said to me!"

* * *

Back in the boys' room, Shroud was lying on the bed reading a book while Takashi was watching television.

"... Spiral's been gone a while, don't you think?" Takashi asked.

Shroud remained silent.

"Shroud?"

...

"Shroud? !"

"Sorry, I've been reading." Shroud said. "I remain absorbed in any book I read until I get to the end of a chapter. What was your question?"

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!" Momo's voice reverberated through the walls.

Takashi and Shroud could hear her yelling in the hallway. There were other sounds of voices, but they were muffled by the walls. Shortly thereafter, Spiral reentered the room.

"What was that about?" Takashi inquired.

"... It's none of your concern." Spiral responded as he went to get a towel from the bathroom. "I'm going to take a bath and then go to bed."

"... Something definitely happened." Shroud stated.

"You think?" Takashi sarcastically spoke.

* * *

Outside the beach, Hikari was standing in front of the ocean, the moonlight and stars shining bright in the sky.

"How could he do this to us? To me?" Hikari asked herself as she picked up a bunch of sand and threw it into the ocean. "It's not fair. It's not fair! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

Hikari kept throwing piles of sand into the ocean in a fit of rage and sadness. Eventually, she fell on her knees to the ground and sobbed uncontrollably.

* * *

Later in the night around 4 in the morning, Ms. Krystal had woken up from her slumber to get some fresh air and stepped onto the balcony.

"Ah... that breeze feels good..." Ms. Krystal sighed in satisfaction.

She then looked down at the beach to see someone on their knees by the shoreline. She took a closer look and saw that it was Hikari.

"... Why is Hikari down there this late?" Ms. Krystal wondered.

* * *

Hikari continued to sob for several minutes.

"Tell me, dear, why are you crying?"

Hikari looked to her left to see a woman with long, silky black hair wearing a white cloak.

"What has you upset?" The woman asked.

"Who are you?" Hikari asked.

"My name is _Meda_." She introduced herself. "I can sense much despair and grief from you. What is the source of this pain, child?"

"... You see... There was this guy I-"

"You liked him?"

"Actually... it was more like love... But today... he said something... I couldn't even believe he was saying that... It was like he was a completely different person than he was a few hours before that..."

"Do you want someone to bring down divine punishment on him?"

"I... I don't know... I'm just so angry and sad and-Damn it!" Hikari clutched her head.

"Maybe there is a way to discern your true emotions."

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Meda clutched Hikari's forehead and started to pull an amorphous black blob out of it. When she completely took the thing out of Hikari's head, the black blob started to take form and when the transfiguration was finished, it looked exactly like Hikari.

"Wh-what is that?!" Hikari exclaimed.

"It is you." Meda answered. "More specifically, this is your Shadow. It is a part of your mind that is suppressed by your ego, thus you do not acknowledge its existence. She has more insight into your true self than even you do."

Hikari stared at the Shadow that came out of her. It was as if someone had just created a life-size replica of herself.

"Shadow, what are your feelings right now?" Meda asked.

"I don't care about anything anymore..." The Shadow responded. "The man I love no longer wants me to care about him... My life felt meaningless without him in it... I might as well just die..."

Hikari was shocked to hear those words coming from that thing's mouth.

"A Shadow represents the negativity that you try to repress so the world around you doesn't see it." Meda stated. "It is the opposite of your true nature."

"H-how did you do that?" Hikari asked.

"It is a power I have been granted by the Arcana." Meda responded.

"A-Arcana?!"

"Yes, I am Arcana Number II, Meda the High Priestess. As the representation of duality, I enable others to confront the part of their minds they do not wish to realize exist: their Shadow."

"That means you're here to kill us, is that it?"

"Actually, right now I am simply giving you the chance for me to help you."

"Why would you help me?!"

Meda pulled out a watch-like device, pressed some buttons on it and a rainbow portal appeared behind her.

"Do you know what this portal is? It is a rift in time and space, thanks to this device developed by our researchers after your friend's original time machine." Meda stated. "I have set the destination to an alternate reality where none of the events of tonight ever occurred and you are chosen as your lover's mate."

Hikari's expression had changed from angry to uncertain.

"In this reality, everything you've dreamed about will occur." Meda said. "Including... you and your lover conceiving a child on this very night."

"We... we actually..." Hikari muttered as she placed her hand over her stomach. "We actually have a child..."

"What I am doing is letting you switch places with your other self in that universe so you may live out the rest of your days as his lover. The point in time is set to earlier in the evening, before he spoke to you. Though I should warn you that once you enter this alternate world, there is no going back. Also, if you fail to comply... my orders from my superiors strictly state that I must kill you."

Hikari simply stared at the time portal. *This is my chance.* She thought. *If I go in there, Spiral and I will be together. We'll have a child together. We'll have a family! He would never have said any of those horrible things to me! My answer is clear!*

Hikari stands up and starts to walk towards the time portal.

"Hikari, stop!"

Hikari turned around to see Ms. Krystal standing nearby.

"Ms. Krystal? What are you-" Hikari was about to ask.

"It's not worth it!" Ms. Krystal said to her. "If you take that choice, you will regret it!"

"But-"

"This is not your concern." Meda said. "I am offering her a chance to be happy."

"You are offering her a lie!" Ms. Krystal said. "No happiness can come from this!"

"Ms. Krystal!" Hikari interrupted. "I deserve this! I gave my heart and it was stomped on! I deserve to be happy! I deserve love!"

"Yes, you do." Ms. Krystal said. "But you are running from the problem. Whatever Spiral did is just a reflection of your own self worth! Because he rejected you, you feel like you have no purpose, right?"

"...That's right..."

"THAT'S WRONG!" Ms. Krystal said. "I know it's hard but you will move on. You are a beautiful, willful, sexy girl! Spiral might've been your first love, but he won't be your last."

"AND HOW THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW?!"

"Because I've been there." Ms. Krystal continued placing her hand over her heart. "Every girl has. That first romance. Those first loving moments. That first heartbreak...it's all in the experience of growing up. It's not fun, but we learn from it and it shows us the path to the one we truly want to give our heart to."

Hikari was silent and completely motionless for several moments, pondering everything Ms. Krystal had just said.

"I may not know what I want right now..." Hikari finally spoke up. "Even if I do find someone else, will I love him as much as I love Spiral? ... I don't expect any of these questions to be answered... but Ms. Krystal does have a point... And these last few minutes gave me time to think about all of this. If I switched places with that Hikari, it would just place her in the same position I'm in now. Then you would offer her the same thing you're offering me right now and the cycle would repeat itself. No happiness could come from that."

Meda instantly knew what that meant and she pressed some buttons on the device around her wrist, causing the time portal to vanish.

"I suppose you know what this means." Meda said.

"We Duel." Hikari responded. "And if I win, you spare our souls."

"So you know how we operate." Meda said. "I accept your challenge."

"All right then." Hikari said as she pulled out her Duel gear out of her bag.

Meda simply looked at the Shadow and tilted her head toward Hikari, to which the Shadow responded with a nod and stepped forward.

"What are you doing?" Hikari asked. "You're my opponent!"

"The thing is, I don't have a Deck." Meda told her. "Unlike the other Arcana, I use my abilities to remove people's Shadows so they can Duel for me on their behalf. It makes the end result much more poetic, wouldn't you agree? After all, one's own worst enemy is themselves."

A dark aura engulfed the Shadow's left arm and left eye and when they faded, a Duel Disk and Duel Gazer appeared and the Duel commenced.

**Hikari (LP 4000) Shadow (LP 4000)**

"I'll start!" Hikari said as she drew her first card. "First I activate the Continuous Spell Angelic Redemption! I'll explain what this does later! But for now, since I don't have any monster cards on my field, I can Special Summon Astral Angel Uko (Lv.3 800/100)!"

An angel with white hair, carrying no weapons and wearing a simple white gown appeared on the field.

"Next, I place one card face-down and end my turn!" Hikari finished. "During the End Phase of a turn I don't Normal Summon, I can place an Astral Counter on Angelic Redemption!"

The Shadow drew its first card.

"Since there aren't any monsters on my field, I Special Summon Astral Angel Uko (Lv.3 800/100) from my hand." Meda said and the Shadow did the exact same move.

"Wait, that's my card!" Hikari exclaimed.

"Of course it is." Meda said. "Your Shadow uses the exact same Deck you use. A Deck is as much a part of your personality as your Shadow. Anyway, I continue by Normal Summoning Astral Angel Rina (Lv.3 1200/750)."

An angel with white hair, wearing a white robe and carrying two chakrams appeared on the field.

"Next, I'll overlay Uko and Rina to Xyz Summon Astral Angel Gamma-Te (Rank 3 1900/1800)."

An angel with golden hair carrying dual swords, one in her hand and the other on her waist, appeared on the field.

"Now I detach one of her Xyz Materials to increase her attack points by 600 until the end of the turn. Next I equip her with Fairy Meteor Crush so she can deal piercing damage. Gamma-Te, attack."

Gamma-Te attacked Uko and destroyed her, inflicting Hikari with 2400 points of damage.

**Hikari (LP 1600) Shadow (LP 4000)**

"I end my turn." Meda said.

Hikari drew her next card. "First I Normal Summon Astral Angel Rina (Lv.3 1200/750)! Since I now have an Astral Angel on the field, I can Special Summon Uko from my Graveyard! And when an Astral Angel is summoned, Rina gains a Level! Next, I activate the effect of Angelic Redemption! I can remove its Astral Counters to gain additional Normal Summons and I'm going to remove its only one to Normal Summon Astral Angel Graea (Lv.4 1500/1400)!"

An angel with white carrying a broadsword and wearing a white robe appeared on the field.

"Since I summoned another Angel, Rina gains another Level!" Hikari stated. "Next I activate the Spell Card Astral Alignment! I can select an Astral Angel and all other Angels' Levels become that card's Level! I change the Levels of Graea and Uko to Rina's Level 5! Now I overlay my three Level 5 Angels to Xyz Summon Astral Angel Sigma-Bi (Rank 5 2800/2500)!"

From the heavens appeared an angel with blue hair carrying a katana.

"Next I equip her with the Spell Card Astral Judgment!" Hikari continued. "Now when Sigma-Bi destroys your monster, you take damage equal to half of your monster's attack points! Sigma-Bi, attack!"

Sigma-Bi used her katana to easily cut down Gamma-Te, destroying her and inflicting a total of 1850 points of damage to the Shadow.

**Hikari (LP 1600) Shadow (LP 2150)**

"And when Sigma-Bi destroys a monster, she can detach one of her Xyz Materials to attack again!" Hikari pointed out.

Sigma-Bi slashed the Shadow with her katana, reducing her Life Points to 0.

**Hikari (LP 1600) Shadow (LP 0)**

Hikari fell to her knees in relief and sighed. As the Shadow fell to the ground, it vanished into thin air.

"You did it, Hikari!" Ms. Krystal cheered.

"I'm impressed." Meda said to Hikari. "You're the first person to ever conquer their Shadow. And since you won, I will spare your lives. Now if you'll excuse me, I must get going."

Meda started to walk away and when she was out of sight, Hikari looked at Ms. Krystal.

"Thank you, Ms. Krystal." Hikari said. "If it weren't for you, I don't know what might have happened to me."

"Well, the important thing is that you're over all of that." Ms. Krystal said. "I'm guessing Spiral didn't pick you, did he?"

"Actually... he didn't pick anyone." Hikari told her. "For some reason, he told us that we'd be better off giving up on him. I don't know what might have led him to do that, though."

"That is peculiar." Ms. Krystal said. "I had a talk with him just the other day, but I didn't think he would do this."

"Maybe you should talk to him again."

"Maybe, but not right now. I have to get back to sleep. You should go get some sleep, too."

"You go back without me. I'm just going to stay here and think about things for a little bit longer."

Hikari stared out into the ocean and Ms. Krystal looked at her for a few moments until she finally went back to her room.

* * *

As Meda was walking down the road until she saw Blaise standing near the edge of the adjacent cliff.

"How long have you been watching?" Meda asked.

"I saw everything." Blaise answered. "The other Arcana won't be pleased when they find out what happened here. The only reason you survived was because you used that puppet to Duel for you. I'm sure Luna will most certainly finish the job. She'll use any excuse to kill a human, even if it's one of our own."

"Then I will accept my punishment."

"... No, you won't."

"Hm?"

"I'll inform the others that you were killed in action. As far as they will know, you're dead."

"But where am I to go if I can't return to Headquarters?"

"You let me worry about that. I will find you new living quarters and provide you with enough money to live. I just ask one thing in return."

"... I'm listening."

* * *

As Hikari was walking down the hallway, she saw Spiral standing in front of the door to the room where Valerie, Sophie and the twins were staying in.

"Spiral, what are you doing here?" Hikari asked.

Spiral looked over and saw Hikari walking over to him. "I couldn't sleep, so I just came to check up on Valerie."

Spiral opened the door and saw a sobbing Sophie lying on her knees on the floor being comforted by Chan and Chun.

"Sophie, what's wrong?" Spiral asked.

Sophie looked at Spiral and her expression went from sad to angry in an instant.

"YOU BASTARD!" Sophie screamed as she charged at Spiral, rammed him through the doorway and pinned him against the hallway's wall. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!"

"Sophie, what are you doing?" Hikari asked.

"Just a few hours ago, Valerie was in pain..." Sophie spoke. "And then she was gone!"

"She ran away?" Hikari asked.

"No..." Sophie answered. "I mean she no longer exists!"

"What?" Spiral reacted.

"And it's all YOUR fault!" Sophie looked at Spiral with malicious intent.

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Cassandra Lee **Sophie**

Lisa Ortiz **Valerie**

Alison Vkitorin **Chan/Chun**

Wendee Lee **Ms. Krystal**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Johnny Yong Bosch **Takashi**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Cristina Vee **Meda**

Ali Hillis **Blaise**

* * *

**Preview**

**Sophie:** What did you do to cause all of this?

**Spiral:** Can you explain to me why it's my fault Valerie's gone?

**Shroud:** We could explain it, but it would require much more time than the preview will let us. Guess we'll have to save it for next time.

**Sophie:** Fine by me. That just means I get more time to kick his ass. Next time on Arcana of Fate. Causality.

**Shroud:** Good hint. That title actually has something to do with what's happening.

* * *

**Hikari's Cards**

Angelic Redemption

Spell/Continuous

During the End Phase of your turn in which you did not Normal Summon: Place 1 "Astral Counter" on this card. You can remove any number of "Astral Counters" to Normal Summon up to the same number of "Astral Angel" monsters until the End Phase.

Astral Angel Uko

Fairy/Effect (ATK 800 DEF 100)

Level 3/LIGHT

If you control no monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If you control a face-up "Astral Angel" monster: You can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard.

Astral Angel Rina

Fairy/Effect (ATK 1200 DEF 750)

Level 3/LIGHT

When an "Astral Angel" monster is summoned: Increase the Level of this card by 1.

Astral Angel Graea

Fairy/Effect (ATK 1500 DEF 1400)

Level 4/LIGHT

As long as this card remains face-up on the field: Increase the ATK of all "Astral Angel" monsters by 300.

Astral Alignment

Spell

Select 1 "Astral Angel" monster you control. Until the End Phase, the Level of all other "Astral Angel" monsters becomes the Level of the selected monster.

Astral Judgment

Spell/Equip

Equip only to an "Astral Angel" monster. When the equipped monster destroys an opponent's monster as a result of battle: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to half of the ATK of the destroyed monster.

Astral Angel Gamma-Te

Fairy/Xyz/Effect (ATK 1900 DEF 1800)

Rank 3/LIGHT

2 Level 3 Fairy-type Monsters

Once per turn; you can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to increase the ATK of this card by 600 until the End Phase.

Astral Angel Sigma-Bi

Fairy/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2800 DEF 2500)

Rank 3/LIGHT

3 Level 5 Fairy-type Monsters

Other "Astral Angel" monster you control cannot be selected as an attack target. When this card destroys a monster as a result of battle: You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card, and if you do, this card gains an additional attack.


	17. Chapter 17: Causality

**Here's the next chapter guys. More revelations await! Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

In the resort's hallway, Sophie had pinned Spiral to the wall and was pressing her arm against his throat. The look on her face was filled with anger and grief at the disappearance of Valerie. This all happened while Hikari, Chan and Chun were all watching.

"Spiral... What. Did you. Do?" Sophie continued to glare at him.

Spiral did not respond.

"Sophie... what do you mean Valerie's gone from existence?" Hikari asked.

"Exactly what it means." Sophie answered. "At first, I thought it was because one of you were in danger. But the moment I saw Spiral alive and well and her still gone, I realized that it's not just the death of her parent that could alter her existence. I guessed that Spiral must have done something that altered the flow of time, thus causing Valerie to never be born."

Hikari then realized something. "I think I know what happened..."

"If you know, then tell me." Sophie said.

"Hours ago, Spiral told all three of us... to move on from him." Hikari told her.

"But wait!" Chun spoke up. "If Valerie comes from Spiral's genes, wouldn't that just change who her mother is?"

"... Not if you give up entirely..." Spiral finally said something.

"Spiral, what do you mean?" Chan asked.

"Even if I found another girl, it would only make the others suffer..." Spiral clarified. "It's better for me to just live out the rest of my days alone than have you all feel pain."

Sophie's expression became more enraged and she pressed on Spiral's neck even harder, which was starting to suffocate him. "Do you have any idea of what your actions have done?! Because of you, I lost the only friend I ever had! How could you do this to the people you love?! You may as well have killed her! You heard me! YOU KILLED YOUR OWN DAUGHTER!"

As soon as Sophie said that, she punched Spiral in the face and he stopped moving completely. Sophie moved her arm and Spiral fell to the ground, Hikari running up to check up on him.

"Sophie, did you just-" Chun was a bit scared of what mighthave happened.

"He's still alive." Sophie stated. "All I did was just knocked him unconscious. He'll come around eventually, but I couldn't care less about what happens to him anymore." Sophie started to walk back into the room. "Just like how he doesn't care about any of you."

"That's bullshit!"

Sophie turned around to see Momo, who the shout came from, and Aura were now standing in the hall with them.

"What gives you the right to say that?!" Momo questioned.

"He broke and shattered your hearts and yet you defend him?" Sophie questioned.

"His words might have upset us, some of us even cried, but he would never want any of us to be hurt!" Momo exclaimed. "That's how much he cares about us! All of us!"

"You don't know anything about any of us, even if you are from the future!" Aura spoke, before panicking and bowing for forgiveness. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"This is no time to be polite, Aura!" The twins shouted in unison.

Sophie simply looked at them, said nothing and slammed the door to the room.

"... What I want to know is why he said those things at all." Aura said.

"I think this calls for an intervention." Chan suggested right before yawning. "Though not right now, we're sleepy because we were worried about Sophie and Valerie all night."

The twins went back into the room and the girls took Spiral back to his room with the guys before heading back to their own room to get as much sleep as they could.

* * *

A few hours later in the room Naoto and Kokoro were staying in, as the sun began to rise the couple slowly woke up, their bed sheets covering their nude bodies (Yeah, they did it!). Kokoro looked at Naoto and gave him a peck on the lips and he started kissing back.

"Did you have fun last night?" Kokoro asked.

"Heh, I should be asking you that." Naoto chuckled.

"Despite my looks, I'm just as much of a virgin as you. I was just holding out for the right guy."

"I have to be the luckiest guy in the world."

"Hm, I could say the same thing... except for the 'guy' part."

Naoto and Kokoro chuckled for a little bit before kissing again.

"... I wonder if the others slept as well as we did." Naoto said.

* * *

A little while later, everyone except for Spiral and Ms. Krystal were downstairs in the resort's buffet having breakfast.

"We didn't sleep so well last night." Aura said.

"Where are Spiral and Valerie?" Naoto asked.

"Ask the asshole, himself." Sophie said as she aggressively stabbed a piece of her food with her chopsticks and placed the food in her mouth which made everyone scared of her right now.

Meanwhile, Shroud was writing some formulas on a napkin.

"What's that?" Chan asked, leaning over.

"It's physics stuff, you won't get it." Shroud told her.

"What the happened?" Naoto asked.

"Well, he told us to give up on him so none of us would be sad..." Hikari responded. "That action caused Valerie to vanish from existence and when Sophie realized this, she nearly killed Spiral and he's still unconscious."

"I don't understand why he would do that." Naoto said. "Before the trip, he was intent on telling one of you his feelings."

Everyone stopped eating when they heard Naoto say those words.

"... Oh, right, I wasn't supposed to tell you..." Naoto realized too late.

"Wait, that seems odd, doesn't it?" Chan spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Shroud asked.

"It's social stuff, you won't get it." Chan told Shroud.

"OHOHO, BURN!" Takashi exclaimed.

"Anyway, Spiral seemed completely normal during the whole time we were all at the beach, right?" Chan asked. "He didn't get all angsty like that until later that night."

"You think something may have happened between those times?" Azusa asked.

"Your theory does seem to add up." Eve said with her hand on her chin. "But we'll need more information to go on than that. Once we know Spiral has regained consciousness, I propose we interview the answers out of him."

"Am I the only one who thinks she's treating this like a police investigation?" Takashi wondered.

* * *

Back in the room Spiral, Shroud and Takashi were staying in, Spiral was laying on his bed, still unconscious.

"... nnn..." He slowly began to regain consciousness. "... where..."

And the first thing he saw was-

"Ms. Krystal?!"

Ms. Krystal's face was incredibly close to his. She was standing next to Spiral's bed wearing a summer T-shirt with no sleeves and short shorts.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." Ms. Krystal smiled.

"W-what are you doing in my room?" Spiral asked before thinking to himself. *And for that matter, how did I get here?*

Ms. Krystal gently stroked his cheek with her hand. "I came to see if you wanted some loving, sweet boy." She said in a seductive tone.

Spiral wasn't buying the act. "What's the real reason?" he asked.

Ms. Krystal pulled her hand back and looked serious now. "I heard from the girls what happened last night." She told him. "So I came here to talk."

"I got nothing to talk about..." Spiral turned his head away.

Krystal made a pouty face real quick, climbs onto the bed, pins him down and forces him to look at her. "Are you sure about that?"

"Well-well-well-well-well-" Spiral stuttered.

"I don't get it. I thought you were going to tell the girl that you love that you love her."

"Well... things change."

"THE HELL THEY DO!" Ms. Krystal shouted. "What were you thinking when you told these girls to give up?"

"I just thought that, um, it would be... better."

"BETTER?!" Ms. Krystal was right on top of him, so that yelling was right in his face. "Spiral, what you're doing is completely stupid! Yes, these girls will get hurt, but unless you can give them some sort of closure, they might not recover from it! And now because of your stupid actions, your daughter is gone!"

"H-how did you know?" Spiral asked.

"Spiral, I'm not stupid. Since Pulse told me about your little mirror world expeditions, I've been keeping an eye on you guys. I mean, come on, ever since I became your teacher I remembered who you were."

"What are you... Oh!" Spiral remembered when he went back in time and met a younger Ms. Krystal.

"I knew there was something special about you. I just didn't know what. So are you gonna man up and talk to these girls... the proper way this time?"

"... I don't know..." Spiral responded.

Ms. Krystal gave him a disapproving look. "Fine then. Since you can't make up your mind, I'll just have my way with you."

She dropped down on top of Spiral, pressed her body against his and Spiral felt the voluptuous curves of her breasts and hips. Her face nuzzled into his shoulder as she made a seductive moaning sound.

"OKAY! OKAY! OKAY! I'LL DO IT!" Spiral yelled, flushed red from being embarrassed and aroused at the same time.

"Aw, okay then." Ms. Krystal said as she lifted her body up enough to look him in the eye. "Good choice."

"Spiral, what's going on in-" The door opened and Takashi came through, followed by everyone else who saw Spiral and Ms. Krystal in a very awkward position. "Oh... damn..."

"Uh..." Both Spiral and Ms. Krystal simply said.

Ms. Krystal looked back at Spiral and then back at the others. "... This is exactly what it looks like."

"Ms. Krystal?" Aura asked with an evil glow about her. "Can we have a word with you, please?"

"Yeah..." Momo said. "There's something very important we need to 'discuss' with you."

Ms. Krystal leaned her face close to Spiral's ear. "Don't worry." She whispered. "I'll take the rap for this one." She winks, gets off Spiral and everyone escorts her out of the room.

Once the door was closed, Raza appeared by the door.

"Wow, that was titillating." Raza commented.

"YOU!" Spiral shouted, pointing at Raza.

Raza looks over at shoulder for a moment and then looks back at Spiral. "ME!"

"Because of that advice of yours, Valerie is gone!"

"Yeah. What'd you think was gonna happen?"

"I should have known better than to listen to what you have to say."

"Yeah, true, I was just screwing around with you anyway. I don't know anything about that relationship bullcrap. But hell, that was fun to watch!"

"You made me hurt the people I care about just so you could get a sick laugh?!"

"Yeah. But that's not why I'm here. Did you know your little sex toy Hikari encountered the Priestess last night?"

"She did what? She Dueled her?"

"No. She Dueled her Shadow. You see, the Priestess takes your negative emotions and makes you face them. Thanks to your actions yesterday, her negative emotions turned out really powerful and you're lucky that she's not dead because of it."

"The only reason I acted that way was because you gave me that confusing advice!"

"Kid, just because I gave you some advice doesn't mean you have to act on it. If you believe in this 'love' crap everyone keeps talking about, then you should have confessed regardless of what kind of advice I gave you. Unless there's a lingering doubt in the back of your mind that won't go away... No matter how many times you SWAT AT IT!"

Raza pulls out his chain and swings it at a fly that's been buzzing around, killing it and breaking the window in the process.

"Christ, that thing was bugging me!" Raza growled.

"Great, you have anything proper to say for once?" Spiral asked.

"Yeah, the Arcana are about to make a move. Desiree sees it coming, but there's no way she's gonna tell me. Dumb slut. So I suggest you start planning for your own move."

"What move should I plan for?"

"I don't know! You figure it out! You're the stupid hero! God, now I'm so pissed I need to decapitate a politician! See ya!" Raza disappeared in a wall of green flames.

"What does he have to be pissed off about?" Spiral reacted.

* * *

After the girls had a long talk with Ms. Krystal, everyone headed off to the beach in their respective swimwear, except for Sophie. While most of them were having fun in the water, Spiral, Aura, Momo and Hikari were sitting on beach towels having an important talk.

"Listen..." Spiral started. "... about what I said to you all last night... I'm sorry. I acted thinking it would be in your best interests, but it turned out that it only caused problems. In retrospect, it's kind of ironic. I wasn't even planning to be with someone else because it would hurt you too much."

"So you'd rather give up your happiness so we can be happy?" Aura asked.

"My happiness doesn't matter." Spiral stated. "Keeping everyone else happy is what matters most."

"Spiral, you deserve every right to be happy as everyone else." Aura spoke. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to keep other people happy, but you need to balance it eith your needs, too."

"Aura's right, Spiral." Momo agreed. "We all want you to be happy. And not just the three of us. Naoto, your mother, Ms. Krystal, hell, even Shroud want you to be care about you and want the best for you. You have friends and family that all care about your needs and are always willing to help."

Spiral pondered what the girls had just told him. "Thank you, all of you. While I do like to make people happy, you have a point. I should be more aware of my own happiness from now on."

"There's also one more thing we need to talk about." Momo said.

"If it's about Ms. Krystal, she already told you everything." Spiral reacted.

"No, it's about something Naoto said this morning." Momo explained. "He said you were planning on choosing one of us during this trip. Who is it?"

"H-HELP!"

They heard someone yelling from the ocean and saw that Azusa was drowning far away from the shore.

"AZUSA!" Aura yelled.

"HOLD ON, I'M COMING!" Spiral shouted as he was about to run towards Azusa's location.

But he saw Ms. Krystal already dashing towards Azusa. Just as she was falling into the water, Ms. Krystal grabbed her arm, swam her to shore and laid her on the sand. At this point, everyone else gathered around them. Azusa didn't seem to be breathing, so Ms. Krystal started pressing on her heart in an attempt to get the water out of her lungs. When that didn't seem to work, she gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Spiral, Naoto and Takashi stared at them with sounds of suggestive moaning going on in their heads.

"*cough, cough, hack*" Azusa coughed out water and sat straight up, gasping for as much oxygen as possible. "Muh... Ms. Krystal... you save my life!"

Azusa then hugged Ms. Krystal and the three guys paid attention to their chests pressing against each other (even though Azusa has a flat chest).

"... Ms. Krystal, you are the best teacher ever." Takashi commented.

"... What the hell do you think you're doing?" Asuka suddenly appeared behind the three guys.

Sweat drops fell from the guys' heads and they started running off.

"Get back here!" Asuka chased after them, carrying a rock 5 times her size.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the room Sophie was staying in, she was sitting on a bed looking at one of the cards in her Deck which was Fool of Prophecy.

"... Valerie... this card always did remind me of you..." Sophie spoke up. "Even if you were unsure about something, that wouldn't stop you from taking action. Much like the Fool, you represent innocence, spontaneity, divine inspiration, creativity and, most importantly, freedom. If you hadn't come into my life... I'd probably be the stoic, lonely genius that I was..."

"That's funny, because I always thought of you as the Fool."

Sophie looked up and saw Valerie standing in front of her.

"Sorry for scaring you like that. I'm just glad that I made it back." Valerie apologized.

Sophie couldn't believe her eyes and the emotions just started flowing through her, causing her to tear up and start crying. "Bwaha!" Sophie jumped off the bed and hugged Valerie, continuing to cry. "I... *sniff* I thought you were gone for good! I thought you were lost forever after Spiral screwed up his relationships!"

"... Is that why I vanished?" Valerie asked. "I guess he must have made amends, restoring my existence."

"Valerie... *sniff* what did you mean when you said that I was like the Fool?"

"You have a lot more freedom than I do."

"But I was forced to study to get my achievements."

"By whom? Your parents or yourself?"

Sophie remained silent for a moment.

"Your parents told me how hard you worked to get to where you are now and that it was your choice to push yourself." Valerie told her. "Those limits on yourself were only placed there because you let them. You had freedom of choice the whole time, you just perceived that you never did. The Fool chooses his own path and is only restricted by the boundaries he places on himself... or in this case, the boundaries she places on herself."

"... You're right, Valerie. Looking back on it, I DID have the freedom to choose my whole life. My parents never forced me to study hard. Regardless of my choices, they would have supported me one hundred percent because they loved me."

"Exactly."

"Thank you, Valerie. If it weren't for you, I don't know how I'd be able to handle any of this. It's like the two of us are yin and yang; two halves that complement and guide each other."

"Screw the Chinese lecture, let's go have some fun!" Valerie jumped for joy as she ran into the bathroom to change into her swimsuit.

Sophie just looked at her and smiled.

* * *

Later that night, Momo, Hikari, Aura, Kokoro, Asuka and Azusa were all in the women's bath room all taking a dip in the hot bath.

"Ah, I'm really getting used to taking baths in public." Aura sighed with satisfaction.

"Nothing's more relaxing than this." Momo also sighed.

"Wow, Asuka, I never realized how great you look." Azusa complimented Asuka.

"W-where did that come from?" Asuka asked.

"Well, ever since we got here, I would notice how well-built you are." Azusa said. "You're both well-endowed and you have great abs."

"... Whatever happened to the shy girl that we met a few months ago?" Asuka questioned.

The door to the bath room opened and the twins came in, followed by Valerie and Sophie, the latter had a bath towel wrapped around her body.

"Come on, you two." Chan said.

"Yeah, don't be shy." Chun said.

"I've got nothing to be shy of." Valerie said as she jumped into the bath water with the other girls.

"Um... can I keep my towel on?" Sophie asked, her face flushed.

"Embarrassed to show off your assets?" Chun asked.

"N..." Sophie was about to say when she noticed Momo, Asuka and Kokoro. Her face became incredibly red at seeing their nude bodies through the steam. "I... I think I need to sit down..."

"What's wrong with Sophie?" Hikari asked Valerie.

"She likes big boobs because her mother has big boobs." Valerie responded.

"V-Valerie!" Sophie shouted.

"You know, now that I think about it, we don't know anything about Sophie's parents." Aura realized. "If both you and Valerie come from the same time and you're both the same age, wouldn't that mean your parents exist in this time."

"I can't divulge such secrets." Sophie responded. "The only reason you know about Valerie is because she accidentally blurted it out."

"But I will say that Sophie's parents do live in this time and are currently living in Tokyo." Valerie stated. "It's not any of you, though."

Sophie looked at Valerie and Valerie looked back.

"It's vague enough." Valerie said.

"That's it! I gotta get this elephant out of the room!" Chun said as she tried to grab Sophie's towel.

"What are you doing?!" Sophie asked.

"I'm dying to see how cute you are when you're naked!" Chun said as she managed to grab a part of Sophie's towel. "Gotcha!"

Chun pulled the towel off Sophie and she fell backward into the bath water. Sophie quickly surfaced to catch her breath.

"That was uncalled for!" Sophie shouted.

"Crap." Valerie's expression went from cheerful to fearful (... no pun intended).

"What?" Sophie turned around. "... My back is out of the water, isn't it?"

"Sophie..." Chan spoke up. "What's that on your back?"

On Sophie's back was a tattoo listing '0', the number zero.

"... Damn it." Sophie grumbled.

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Cassandra Lee **Sophie**

Monica Rial **Momo**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Wendee Lee **Ms. Krystal**

Alison Viktorin **Chan/Chun**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Doug Erholtz **Raza**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Johnny Yong Bosch **Takashi**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Lisa Ortiz **Valerie**

* * *

**Preview**

**Aura:** Sophie, are you a member of the Arcana?

**Sophie:** N-no! I swear!

**Eve:** The plot has most certainly thickened.

**Aura:** You weren't even in the bath with us. How would you know? And another thing, why weren't you in the bath with us?

**Eve:** I had big ideas in my head and I had to write them down. They wouldn't stop flowing, so I wouldn't stop writing.

**Aura:** ...

**Sophie:** Next time on Arcana of Fate! The Arcana Strike!

**Aura:** Eve, when was your last bath?

**Eve:** I DID take a bath the night before, you know?


	18. Chapter 18: The Arcana Strike

**Sorry this chapter took so long. I wanted to make the set up as good as possible. And I've also been reading this really good _Fire Emblem_ fanfic, but anyway, I hope you all enjoy. This is where the story starts to really ramp up. And don't forget to review!**

* * *

The girls continued to look at the tattoo on Sophie's back, which was similar to the mark the members of the Arcana bear.

"Sophie..." Azusa spoke up. "Why do you have that mark on your back?"

"I-It's not what you think!" Sophie exclaimed.

"Are you one of the Arcana?" Aura asked.

"NO! I swear on my life! I'm not!" Sophie slouched, looking like she was about to cry.

"What's all the racket about?" Eve came walking in, her body wrapped in a bath towel. She noticed the mark on Sophie's back. "... That's an interesting revelation."

"I'm NOT one of the Arcana!" Sophie shouted. "I told you!"

"Of course you're not." Eve said.

Everyone's attention turned to Eve.

"... That's what I was looking for. Meerkats!" Eve joked.

"You believe me?" Sophie asked.

"If you really were a member of the Arcana, they wouldn't have tried to publicly execute you." Eve stated. "Plus, you come from the future. It's very doubtful that you could be one of their members."

"Yeah..." Asuka responded. "And that one Prophet member that Spiral and I interrogated said that the Arcana's ranks go from 1 to 21. The number on Sophie's back is 0. What do you think that means?"

"I say we shouldn't worry about it for now." Valerie spoke up. "I can vouch for Sophie. She is NOT a member of the Arcana. That mark has been on her back her whole life. Just because someone has a mark on their body doesn't mean we should assume they're Arcana. I mean, look at Takashi. After beating that one guy, he gained his mark. Did Takashi switch sides? No. So there's nothing to worry about right now. It's like that old saying 'we'll cross that bridge when we come to it'."

Everyone pondered Valerie's words for a moment.

*Hmm...* Eve thought. *If the Arcana are ranked forward based on their strength with the highest number being the strongest, why target Sophie if she's Number 0? The numbers would say that she wouldn't be much of a threat at all AND she's from a different time period. There must be some reason she was a target.*

"We're sorry for the accusation, Sophie." Hikari apologized. "With that mark on your back, we thought you might have been working for the Arcana."

"I understand." Sophie responded. "I probably would've done the same if I were in your position."

"Yeah, that's reassuring." Asuka sarcastically commented.

* * *

The next morning, it was time for everyone to pack up their things and head back to Tokyo, which they did... after Ms. Krystal drove them there like a complete maniac. Since the school was closed for summer break, there was no one else around.

"I can't believe our time there ended so quickly." Valerie said, a bit disappointed.

"Who says the fun has to end?" Ms. Krystal asked.

"... What exactly are you getting at?" Spiral questioned.

"Some of you remember when I took you to that rich family, right?" Ms. Krystal asked. "The Griffins? Perhaps we could drop by and give them a surprise visit."

"Wouldn't that bother them?" Shroud asked. "Unexpected arrivals can mess up one's set activities for the day."

"Naw! They won't mind!" Ms. Krystal threw her hand out like it wasn't big deal. "I'm an old friend of theirs!"

* * *

They all arrived at the front gates of the Nagato Estate, which was a large mansion and a man's voice could be heard from the intercom.

_"Go away."_ The voice in the intercom said. _"... I'm kidding. Come on in."_

The gates opened and they all passed through, walking through the front driveway.

"Ms. Krystal, you know the Head of Industrial Illusions Japan?!" Takashi asked.

"Yep." Ms. Krystal answered. "Well, I know his daughter and her husband anyway. We go way back."

"We actually came here once last year." Spiral told them.

"WHAT?! You actually got to hang out with rich people?!" Takashi exclaimed with jealousy.

"From what I remember, they seemed to be a pretty normal family." Aura stated.

"How long have you known them, Ms. Krystal?" Azusa asked.

"It's been about... 7 years." Ms. Krystal responded.

"That must have been around the time of the World Tournament before the last one, 3 years ago." Shroud calculated.

"Wow, that was right on the nose." Ms. Krystal reacted.

"I have the recent Dueling almanac." Shroud stated.

As they continued walking, Valerie noticed that Sophie was a bit uneasy.

"Sophie, loosen up." Valerie whispered to Sophie.

"I can't." Sophie whispered back. "What if-"

"We're here!" Ms. Krystal exclaimed as they finally arrived at the front doors of the mansion.

The front doors opened and revealed a man with dark brown wearing glasses.

"Hello, Kr-" The man saw the many children with her. "... Wow, how weird. Years ago, I said you were like Angeline Jolie... Now you're definitely like her."

"That's sweet of you, but remember that you're married." Ms. Krystal said.

"Uh, I didn't mea-never mind." He responded. "Come on in. And... I remember a few of these children, but it appears you picked up a few more strays."

"We'll talk about that later." Ms. Krystal said as she walked right in.

"... What did you mean by that Angelina Jolie comment?" Shroud asked the man.

"... You don't know much about celebrities, do you?" The man guessed.

"Not true, I know of Leonard Nimoy." Shroud stated.

"... Of course you do." The man muttered to himself.

While everyone else headed inside, Asuka, Lilith and Eve gazed at the mansion's extravagance.

"... What did he mean by 'stray'?" Lilith asked.

"Lilith! When did you get here?!" Asuka asked.

"Ever since you guys parked at the school." Lilith answered. "This place is huge! How come Hikari doesn't live in a place like this?"

"Because she's not wealthy." Eve responded to the question.

"I wonder if it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside." Lilith said as she ran inside the mansion, Asuka and Eve following behind her.

Once everyone was inside the mansion, the man introduced himself.

"For those of you who don't know me, I am _Jeremy Griffan _(Age 26)." The man stated. "You're probably more familiar with my wife's father, the CEO of Industrial Illusions Japan."

"Ah, dammit, she married a white guy..." Takashi groaned.

"What's a CEO?" Lilith asked.

"It's an acronym for 'chief executive officer'." Eve told her.

"Oh... what's a-" Lilith was about to say.

"You DO know." Eve interrupted.

"Daddy, who's at the door?" A small girl with long brown hair came running up to Jeremy.

"It's Krystal with some of her students." Jeremy told her with a smile. "Again, for those of you that weren't here the first time, this is my daughter, _Kasumi _(Age 4)."

"Oh my God, she's so adowable!" Lilith exclaimed as she tried to crawl over toward Kasumi, until Asuka pulled her back.

"Don't scare her off, she's littler than us." Asuka told her.

"I see that you kids made some new friends." Jeremy said. "You seem like quite a colorful bunch, and I'm not just talking about the different hair colors."

"Jeremy, who's at the door?" A pretty, cute woman wearing a pink T-shirt and black jeans walked up to them. "Krystal!" She ran up to Ms. Krystal and the two hugged.

"... Anyone else getting hot watching this?" Takashi asked, paying attention to the two women's perfect breasts pressing against each other.

Incidentally, the only person whom raised their hand was Lilith.

"How are things with your son Auron?" The woman asked.

"Oh, he's just been starting to talk." Ms. Krystal responded.

"That's great!" The woman smiled. "I remember the first time Kasumi tried to speak! I even recorded it just for the occasion!" She then noticed the new kids there. "Oh, excuse my impoliteness. My name is _Makoto Griffin _(Age 25), though some of you already know that."

Spiral walked over and knelt down to Kasumi, meeting her at eye level.

"Hi, remember me?" Spiral asked.

Kasumi slowly came from behind her father and held her hand out as if she wanted a high-five, so Spiral lightly tapped his hand against hers.

"Wow, so young and we've only met once, yet you managed not to frighten her." Makoto said.

"Let's just say I got a feel for what it's like to be a father." Spiral said.

"Got yourself a puppy or a kitten?" Jeremy asked.

"Uh, you could say that." Spiral nervously chuckled, looking back at Valerie.

Ms. Krystal noticed him glancing at Valerie. "Oh, I completely forgot. These two girls are actually... visitors from the junior high school. They wanted to check out Tokyo U to see what they might be getting themselves into."

"Isn't it summer break, though?" Jeremy pointed out.

"... I felt sorry for them?" Ms. Krystal answered with a question.

"... All right." Jeremy accepted the response. "Also, I see one girl, where's the other?"

Ms. Krystal looked back and saw Sophie hiding behind one of the bushes. "Sophie, come out of the bushes and meet Mr. Griffan."

Sophie slightly peeked her head out. "... No thank you, I'm fine."

"I want to play!" Kasumi ran out the door and toward the bush Sophie was hiding in and tapped her on the leg. "I found you! Now it's my turn to hide!"

As Kasumi ran off, Sophie seemed like she was completely zoning out for what seemed like several minutes. After those minutes had passed, she cracked a smile.

"... Okay, ready or not, here I come!" Sophie shouted as she ran off through the garden.

"Makoto, could you keep an eye on Kasumi while I show our guests inside?" Jeremy requested.

"Sure." Makoto gave him a kiss on the cheek and followed Sophie.

* * *

After they were shown around the mansion by Mr. Griffan, everyone had converged in the main living room, talking about how huge the place was. Just then, Kokoro's attention suddenly turned to Spiral.

"Spiral, is everything all right?" She inquired.

"Huh..." Spiral was taken by surprise at her just asking him something out of the blue. "Yeah, I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"Well..." Kokoro tried to think of how to word what she should say. "You know how each of the Arcana have a special power granted by their tattoos? Merlin, the man Takashi defeated, had the power to lock people in another dimension and Meda, the Arcana member Hikari defeated, can manifest a person's negative emotions. I, myself, have special powers. I can sense certain emotions in people's hearts just by being around them. And what I sensed from you is... unusual."

Spiral let out a very deep sigh. "You got me. Ever since that little mishap back at the resort, I feel like I need to be absolutely certain how I feel about this girl. I want to know that whoever I end up with, I love her from the bottom of my heart."

"I might be able to help with that." Kokoro said.

"H-how so?"

"Simply being near someone, I can sense their outward emotions, but if I concentrate solely on you, I can search the depths of your heart for you and find the answer you seek."

"Th-that would be very helpful."

"The problem is that I have to be absolutely focused on your heart. I cannot be moved or disturbed during the process." She turned to Naoto, who was right next to her, and tapped his shoulder. "Naoto?"

Naoto turned his head to her. "Hm?"

"Your girlfriend thinks that she can help me find out which of the girls I care about most." Spiral told him.

"Do you think you can watch over us to make sure that no one disturbs us?" She requested.

Naoto had a look of suspicion on his face. "... Is this going where I fear it's going to go?"

"No, nothing like that." Spiral assured him. "I wouldn't dare to do that to you."

Kokoro tilted her head in confusion. "... I don't get what you think he's inquiring, but neither of us will be conscious and we need to make sure someone doesn't move or disturb either one of us."

"Uh, sure, I'll keep an eye on you guys." Naoto acquiesced to her request.

"Great then." Kokoro stood up. "Excuse me, Mr. Griffan, is there a room that the three of us can use. The three of us need to talk in private."

"Oh, sure, of course." Jeremy nodded. "Might I suggest the nearest guest bedroom? You remember where that is, right? It was near the beginning of the tour?"

"That would be very helpful, thank you." Kokoro bowed and she left, with Spiral and Naoto following her.

* * *

Spiral, Kokoro and Naoto found the first guest bedroom and entered, Naoto closing the door behind them.

"Spiral, lay on the bed, if you may." Kokoro pulled a nearby chair and set it next to the bed.

Spiral laid on the bed, his hands over his stomach. "Okay, now what?"

Kokoro placed her hands over Spiral's heart and closed her eyes. "Just close your eyes and let your mind wander while I search the inner secrets of your heart."

"O-okay." Spiral closed his eyes.

In mere moments of complete silence, a pink glow was radiating from Kokoro's hands. Naoto couldn't do anything but watch.

"I don't see why they needed me along to protect them." Naoto said to himself. "It's not like anyone would want to disturb us or anything."

* * *

Meanwhile in the garden, Sophie was looking for Kasumi. Eventually, she found her hiding behind a flower bush.

"You found me!" Kasumi smiled.

The two girls laughed.

"Tag, you're it!" Kasumi touched Sophie on the leg and ran away.

Sophie ran after her. It was the happiest she had been ever since she got stuck in the present. Kasumi kept running until she ran into something and fell.

"Oh, owie." Kasumi groaned.

Sophie looked at what Kasumi had bumped into and her expression became fearful when she saw what it was. It was a large, bald and muscular man wearing the Prophets' signature white cloak.

"There you are." The man said. "Hey, _Samuel_, I found her!"

An old man with a beard as white as snow wearing the same cloak as the other man came up from behind him. "You don't have to shout that, _Byron_. I'm right here, you know?"

Sophie remained completely still, frozen in fear. "Kasumi! Get behind me!"

* * *

Back in the room Spiral, Kokoro and Naoto were in, the door suddenly opened and Naoto saw a voluptuous woman wearing the Prophets' white cloak.

"A-A Prophet?!" Naoto was taken completely off guard by her sudden appearance. "H-h-how did you get in here?! And for that matter, WHY did you come here?"

"Hmhmhm." She chuckled. "We snuck in, obviously. It also helps that we have members on the inside that are willing to give us any details about secret passages in and out of the estate."

Naoto leered at her and readied his Duel Disk.

"Hmm..." The woman examined Naoto's entire body. "You wouldn't happen to be 'Naoto', would it?"

Naoto paused for a moment, in complete disbelief that this strange woman knew his name.

"Oh, Kokoro hasn't told you anything about me?" She asked. "The very woman who helped her rise from a fairly average shy girl to an attractive young woman? She's such an ungrateful BITCH, isn't she?"

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL HER THAT!" Naoto seemed to be greatly angered by that last comment.

"If I may get the introductions out of the way, I am an old friend of Kokoro's. My name is Morgan."

"Why are you here?" Naoto gritted his teeth.

"While my colleagues are working on their missions, I thought I'd stop by and see how my treacherous old friend has been doing." Morgan leered her eyes at Kokoro. "It was because of you that she defected."

"What are you talking about? She defected because you're all murderous psychos!" Naoto kept his best to keep his guard up in case Morgan would dare to try something.

Morgan looked over and saw that Kokoro was using her powers on Spiral. "I suppose she already told you how each member of the Arcana have a special power granted by their tattoos. Well, my power is similar to hers. I can read a person's desires and how much they desire it. And the last time I saw her, the night she left the Prophets, I saw her every desire. And what she desired most was to be with you. "

Naoto wasn't sure what to make of what Morgan had just said.

"It was that little crush that caused her to betray the very people that took her in." Morgan continued. "And I can sense in you that her love did not go unrequited. You two have already made love even. No doubt she used the condoms I gave her for when she would have seduced you into spilling your secrets."

"Wait, how would you even know that we had sex?" Naoto questioned.

"I can also read what desires have been satiated." Morgan gave Naoto an unusual smirk. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I taught her what to do in bed. If you thought she was good..." Morgan removed her white cloak. "Wait until you see what I can do."

* * *

Kasumi was hiding behind Sophie as she stood her ground against the two white-cloaked men.

Sophie was looking back and forth throughout the area, hoping to find something in the environment that would be of use to her in this time of need. *Damn it! There's got to be something I can do!* She thought before finally speaking. "Kasumi... ?"

"Huh?" Kasumi lifted her head up towards Sophie.

"I need you to run." Sophie said without even looking at her. "Go find Mommy and Daddy. They'll protect you. And don't worry about me, I can take care of these guys by myself."

"O... okay..." Kasumi nodded and started to run away from them towards the mansion.

The old man named Samuel sighed. "Byron, you take care of the Fool. I'll get the little girl."

"Heh, I'm gonna enjoy this!" Byron chuckled and cracked his knuckles as he pulled out a Duel Disk and Duel Gazer.

Samuel vanished into thin air and Sophie prepared her Duel Disk and Duel Gazer.

"Let's Duel!" They both shouted.

**Sophie (LP 4000) Byron (LP 4000)**

"A person should always know the name of their killer." Byron smirked as he drew his first card. "I am Arcana XI Byron the Strength! And my Deck will completely overpower you! First I summon Giant Orc (Lv.4 2200/0) in attack mode! Next I activate the Spell Card Overwhelming Power! This allows me to Special Summon all monsters in my hand with 2000 or more attack points and I have Goblin Attack Force (Lv.4 2300/0), Gene-Warped Warwolf (Lv.4 2000/100) and Chainsaw Insect (Lv.4 2400/0)! Sure, I take 500 points of damage for each monster I summoned for this effect, but it won't matter! I have 4 powerful monsters already lined up! I'll end my turn by placing one card face-down!"

**Sophie (LP 4000) Byron (LP 2500)**

Sophie drew her next card.

"I activate the Trap Card Skill Drain!" Byron activated his card. "I pay 1000 Life Points and all monsters on the field have their effects negated! So now I won't suffer from the negative effects of Giant Orc, Goblin Attack Force or Chainsaw Insect!"

**Sophie (LP 4000) Byron (LP 1500)**

Sophie smirked. "You really think you can defeat me with brute force?"

"Huh?" Byron raised his eyebrow.

"First, I summon Temperance of Prophecy (Lv.3 1000/1000)!" Sophie started her move. "Next, I activate Spellbook of Secrets to add Spellbook of Power from my Deck to my hand!" Sophie added the card to her hand and her Deck auto-shuffled. "Now that I've activated a Spellbook Spell this turn, I can Tribute Temperance of Prophecy to summon a Level 5 or higher Light or Dark Spellcaster from my Deck! I'm summoning Wheel of Prophecy (Lv.8 2700/1700)! Then I use Spellbook of Power to increase his attack power by 1000! Lastly, I activate the Spell Card Diffusion Wave Motion! I can only use this when I have a Level 7 or higher Spellcaster on the field and paying 1000 Life Points! Only that card can attack this turn, but he can attack all monsters on the field!"

The power of Diffusion Wave Motion engulfed Wheel of Prophecy's shield, which he threw at all of Byron's monsters like a Frisbee, destroying them all and reducing Byron's Life Points to 0.

**Sophie (LP 3000) Byron (LP 0)**

"Damn it, you little BRAT!" Byron tried to grab Sophie and strangle her, but his hand and arm started to fade into nothingness. "Wait! No! Let me girl this little bitch first! I can't die now! THAT BRAT MUST PAY-!" Byron had completely dissolved, leaving no trace of his existence.

"Impressive."

Sophie turned to see that Samuel was now standing on the edge of the wall separating the mansion garden from the outside area.

"I'd expect nothing less from the Fool." Samuel said. "You beat him on your first turn and with such precision. I can see why you were chosen as the Fool. Then again, Byron always did rely too much on brute force."

"You're next." Sophie glared at him.

"Maybe another time." Samuel lifted his cloak slightly and revealed that he was holding Kasumi in his arm. "My objective has been completed, so I must get going now."

"What are you doing with my daughter?!"

The two of them looked over and saw Jeremy running up to Sophie.

"Daddy!" Kasumi shouted.

"LET HER GO!" Jeremy demanded, with a seriously angered look in his eyes.

"Grandmaster Ryu gave me strict orders to capture this girl." Samuel stated. "Who knows what he plans to do with her?"

Before Jeremy could shout explicit curses at him, Sophie started running at Samuel at such an incredible speed with murderous intent in her eyes.

"GIVE ME BACK MY SISTER!" Sophie screamed as she charged for Samuel, jumped up and tried to punch the bastard in the face.

Before she could connect the hit, Samuel disappeared and Sophie landed on the top of the wall.

At first, she was completely wide-eyed, which was followed by tearing up. "... Damn it! ... DAMN IT!"

Jeremy just looked at her, pondering over something she said not long ago. "... 'Sister'? ..."

* * *

Back in the guest bedroom, the glow in Kokoro's hands started to fade and her eyes started to open. Shortly after, Spiral opened his eyes as he regained consciousness.

"Nugh..." Spiral groaned as he got up. "I didn't see anything you did in there. Care to explain your findings?"

"Sure." Kokoro nodded. "The girl that you hold dearest to your heart I-"

"Wait a minute..." Spiral interrupted, looking around the room. "Where's Naoto?"

Kokoro turned around and saw no one by the door. The only thing there was a small note, folded up. Kokoro went to pick it up and read it. Kokoro's eyes instantly became filled with rage.

"Kokoro, what's wrong?" Spiral asked in concern.

Kokoro crumpled the note and started gritting her teeth together. "... She took Naoto..."

"Who took him?" Spiral was a little confused.

"One of the Arcana." Kokoro looked right at him and he could see the anger in her eyes.

The door opened and Valerie came in. "Guys, something terrible has just happened! The Arcana came here and... they took Kasumi!"

"WHAT? !" Spiral reacted to the news.

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Cassandra Lee **Sophie**

Lisa Ortiz **V****alerie**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Yuri Lowenthal **Naoto**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Stephanie Young **Morgan**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Wendee Lee **Ms. Krystal**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Johnny Yong Bosch **Takashi**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

Brina Palencia **Kasumi**

J. Michael Tatum **Jeremy**

Janice Kawaye **Makoto**

Kirk Thorton **Samuel**

Patrick Seitz **Byron**

* * *

**Preview**

**Spiral:** Another little girl was kidnapped and there was nothing I could do about it... It's happening all over again... Etsuko... I won't let this happen again!

**Momo:** Spiral...

**Spiral:** The Arcana will pay for this... They WILL! Pay! Next time on Arcana of Fate! Preparation! The final battles will be upon us soon. If I don't make it back... I have to give them closure...

* * *

**Byron's Cards**

Overwhelming Power

Spell

Special Summon any number of monsters with 2000 or more ATK from your hand. Inflict 500 damage to the controller of this card for each monster summoned by this effect.


	19. Chapter 19: Preparation

**Sorry, there's not much action in this chapter. That's not to say the content in this chapter isn't good, it's just that this chapter focuses more on the characters and certain developments. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

It was about an hour after the Arcana had infiltrated the Nagato Estate, kidnapping Kasumi and taking Naoto. Sophie managed to defeat one of them, but the other two members, Morgan and Samuel, had managed to get away. Everyone else remaining had gathered in the living room. They all looked like they had suffered a severe loss, especially Jeremy, Makoto, Sophie, Kokoro and Spiral.

"I can't just let them get away with this!" Jeremy finally stood up.

"Je-" Makoto was about to speak until Jeremy interrupted her.

"They took Kasumi. Our daughter." Jeremy looked right into Makoto's eyes. "Neither of us are the kind of parent that would just leave their child to die."

"Why would they take her, anyway?" Lilith inquired, raising her hand.

"She IS the granddaughter of a CEO." Shroud pointed out. "Perhaps they want to extort money from her family."

"No, that's not it." Sophie finally spoke up. "... I know why they took her."

"I really don't think you could have solved it." Shroud rolled his eyes.

Eve smacked him in the back of the head. "Stop being a condescending jerk!"

"The reason they took her... is because she is my sister." Sophie confessed.

"Wait, how can this be?" Makoto asked. "Kasumi's an only child."

"She is... for now." Sophie clarified her statement. "I'm... I'm one of your children from the future. Very likely, the Arcana took her as a hostage so they can capture me."

Spiral realized something. "You know what? We still don't know the real reason why the Arcana were after you."

"Do you think it has to do with the tattoo on your back?" Momo asked.

"What tattoo?" Spiral asked.

"On my back," Sophie looked up at everyone. "It's a tattoo of the number 0, but I am not a member of the Arcana. Are any of you familiar with a tarot deck?"

"You mean those decks fortunetellers use?" Shroud asked. "I don't like where this is going. Premonitions are nothing but hogwash."

Sophie sighed and scratched the bridge of her nose. "Anyway, how the deck works is each of the 22 Major Arcana are assigned a Roman numeral between 0 and 21. The higher the number, the better the card. However... there is one exception to the rule: Number 0, the Fool. That is why the Prophets tried to kill me. Ryu knew I could travel through time and that I'm the only person that could stop him."

"Wait, you weren't even born yet." Eve pointed out. "Shouldn't there be a person in this time who has the zero tattoo?"

"As a former member of the Arcana, I can answer that question." Kokoro spoke up. "Out of all the people in the world that represent a Major Arcana, the Fool and the World are the rarest, sometimes requiring centuries for the next worthy candidate to appear. At this time, the World exists, but the Fool does not... at least not yet. That's where Sophie comes in and... she already figured out why we wanted her."

"Let me guess," Spiral spoke up, raising his index finger. "Ryu is the World?"

Kokoro simply nodded.

"So, which members of the Arcana have already been defeated?" Aura asked.

Kokoro tried to think about it for a couple of seconds. "Let's see... Takashi defeated the Magician, Hikari defeated the High Priestess, I am the Lovers, Sophie defeated Strength and Spiral managed to win against the Moon, but she was still able to hold onto her existence."

"You mean that wolf girl is still alive?" Spiral stood up, a bit worried that the person he defeated possibly desired vengeance against him.

"You've already proven yourself to be a very strong Duelist." Kokoro stated. "Luna was ranked XVIII among the Prophets, only three other members, excluding Sophie, are stronger than her."

"So that leaves..." Shroud started counting on his fingers. "Seventeen members of the Arcana remaining."

"Actually... it might be less than that." A voice came from where the front doors were.

Everyone looked in that direction to see that Pulse had entered the mansion. "Sorry I'm late. I had a couple of errands to run. Krystal here told me everything that had happened here while walking here. Just so we can all have some privacy, I suggest we continue this discussion back at the Academy. There we will decide a course of action to take against the Prophets and their leaders."

"I'm coming with you." Jeremy stood up. "They took my daughter and I'm not just going to sit down and wait for someone to rescue her. I'm not doubtful in any of your abilities. It's just that I have a duty as a father to protect her."

"Very well then." Pulse responded. "No one here is going to stop you."

"If you're going, then I'm going, too." Makoto stood up as well. "Mothers are supposed to protect their young and I can't very well let yourself get killed."

Jeremy slightly chuckled a bit. "Heh, I know better than to get in an argument with a woman."

Some of the others couldn't help but chuckle at how whipped the man of the house seemed to be.

* * *

They had arrived at the empty campus that was Tokyo University Duel Academy, considering that everyone was on summer break, not even the school's teachers were there. Pulse had gathered everyone in her office, which now had a large, round table in the center of it.

"When did this table get here?" Spiral asked.

"I got it recently, before we all went on our trip to the resort." Pulse answered. "Thought it might come useful for any conferences we might need to make."

"I'm aware some people can prepare for anything, but this is ridiculous." Spiral said to himself.

After everyone had taken a seat around the round table, the conference was officially underway.

"Anyway, I have someone here with us who can provide us with information regarding the layout of the Prophets' Headquarters as well as its location." Pulse continued. "Before I introduce this individual, I must ask that you not be alarmed."

"Why would we be alarmed?" Azusa asked.

"Because of whom this individual is." A woman's voice came from the direction of the entrance.

Hikari instantly recognized the voice, shot out of her seat and turned around. "You!"

The person that spoke was Meda, the member of the Arcana that Hikari had defeated.

"What are you doing here?!" Hikari asked, with a hint of anger in her eyes.

"You know this woman, Hikari?" Aura asked.

"She's the member I fought back at Momohime Resort!" Hikari told them.

"Actually, you defeated your Shadow, not me, which is precisely why I still cling to my existence unlike Merlin and Byron." Meda stated. "As for my being here, I happen to be the individual assisting you on the assault on the Prophets."

"WHY would YOU help us?!" Hikari asked, still a bit angry. "Why come to us and not the Prophets?!"

"Because if I went back to the Prophets, I would surely be dead." Meda answered.

Hikari's anger almost instantly faded after hearing those words come from Meda's mouth.

"Failure is not tolerated among the Arcana." Meda continued. "Luna was lucky because no one had found out about it and desired to silence any witnesses. That is why she tasked Merlin and I with your assassination. And both of us knew that as long as we didn't tell anyone else, she would spare our lives."

"Sounds like the Arcana encourage perfection." Takashi commented.

"Anyway, you all may be in luck." Meda continued. "Amongst the Arcana, there is at least one that disagrees with their overall goal and the methods to claim it."

"We know." Takashi said. "Kokoro defected."

"Okay, there are at least two." Meda rephrased her last statement. "It is thanks to the other that I am still alive and the other members of the Prophets believe me to be dead."

"Is it Blaise?" Kokoro instantly asked.

"Hmph, I wasn't going to say who it was, but now you've spoiled what might have been a surprise for you all." Meda scoffed. "Yes, it is indeed her, and quite the ally you could use. Among the Arcana, she is ranked Number XIX."

"The third strongest member of the Arcana?" Sophie asked.

Meda simply nodded.

"Wow, that could really improve our odds of victory." Jeremy stated.

"She is currently planning an insurrection." Meda continued. "Unfortunately, she can't do it alone. That's where you all come in. With the assault happening and one of their strongest enforcers turning against them, the lower ranking members will be confused. While most of you face off against the weaker members, a select few of our strongest will search for the highest-ranking members, Samuel and Ryu."

"I heard Byron call the man who took Kasumi Samuel." Sophie recalled. "I will fight him."

"That is unwise." Meda told her. "You'll need every ounce of energy you've got before you fight Ryu."

"Why does she get to fight Ryu?" Spiral asked.

"Because of her mark." Meda answered. "Unlike the other numbers, 0 is not bound by the rules of their marks and as such, she's the only one of us capable of defeating Ryu."

"Then I will fight Samuel." Jeremy said. "You take a bear's cub, you incur its wrath."

"That line sounded kind of lame." Eve muttered. "Wait, I just realized something. If they took Kasumi hostage, won't they kill her if we attempt any sort of offensive?"

"Blaise assures me that she will take care of that." Meda responded. "It's settled then. Sophie and Jeremy will fight against the remaining members while the rest of you fight off the rest of them."

"Won't you be fighting, too?" Aura asked.

"I'll be entering the fray... when the time is right." Meda responded. "Anyway, for now, the adults will strategize the assault and I will inform Blaise of your agreement. In the meantime, you kids should get some rest while you can. You'll need it. Tough battles await all of you."

* * *

Spiral had been lying on his bed on top of the bunk bed for a while now. The only other person in the room was Shroud, who was busy playing chess with himself.

"Spiral?" After almost an hour of silence, Shroud had finally broken it by opening his mouth.

Spiral slightly turned his head towards Shroud. "Hm?"

"We've got a big day ahead of us." Shroud said. "Why not flex our strategic muscles with a little chess?"

"Shroud, I'm not sure what I want to do right now." Spiral said, still lying on his bed. "This battle could probably kill any one of us."

"Which is why we should strengthen our minds to prepare for anything that the Prophets might throw at us." Shroud stated. "It's like they say, 'if you can predict your opponent's next move, you can avoid it'... unless it's an unavoidable attack, but let's hope that it doesn't come to that and that it can be blocked."

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Spiral, are you there?" Azusa's muffled voice came from behind the door.

"Come in." Spiral responded.

Azusa entered the room. "Are you guys nervous about this? The battle with the Prophets, I mean."

Spiral sighed. "Yeah..."

"So, I thought I'd stop and let you know something." Azusa said. "Spiral, could you come down from that bed, please? There's something I need to tell you, face to face."

Spiral got off his bed and climbed down.

"Spiral, I just want to let you know how grateful I am for meeting you." Azusa expressed. "If you haven't entered my life, I'd still be the shy, paranoid girl that I've been for years. My interactions with you all have made me a bit more assertive and confident in myself. You're like the big brother I've always wanted."

Upon hearing the words 'big brother', memories of Etsuko started flooding back to Spiral's mind. From their first meeting to her murder, everything just came rushing back to Spiral, causing him to stumble and fall onto the bed.

"Spiral, are you okay?" Azusa asked in concern.

"I-I'm fine... I think..." Spiral slightly panted. "... Remember when I told you about my adopted sister?"

Azusa nodded.

"... That's almost all that I've been thinking about since Kasumi got kidnapped." Spiral continued. "That's how it started. Etsuko got kidnapped and as soon as we got to her..." It was painful for Spiral to simply remember that horrifying moment, which was made especially evident by his eyes tearing up. "I was right there and I couldn't protect her! That was my job! How good of a big brother can I be if I can't even protect her?!"

"Spiral, get a hold of yourself!"

SLAP!

Azusa had slapped Spiral clear across the face, which made him stop crying for a bit.

"I don't know what it's like to lose someone you love, and I really don't want to, but you can't keep blaming yourself for her death! The only person at fault is the person who killed her! And she might know this, too!"

Spiral looked straight at Azusa.

"I'm sure she knows you tried your best and she doesn't blame you for her loss. Think, Spiral, would she want you constantly blaming yourself for what happened... or would she rather have you move on?"

Spiral remained silent, unable to answer.

"... Look..." Azusa broke the silence. "If you're concerned about Kasumi and Sophie, then you've got to take advantage of that."

"What do you mean?" Spiral inquired.

"If you find Kasumi and there comes an instance where you suspect she'll be killed, you know it's coming and can prevent it from happening." Azusa said. "You need to stop trying to run from your past and learn from it. It's the only way you'll be able to forgive yourself."

Spiral's eyes did tear up a bit, but it wasn't from sadness. "... Thank you, Azusa. That's the second time you've had to give me a good slap... I keep forgetting to ask. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No, I'm an only child." Azusa answered. "That's why I like hanging out with you guys so much."

"Well, if you had any siblings, I'm sure you'd make an awesome sister." Spiral said.

Spiral's complement made Azusa smile.

"If you'll excuse me, there's something that I have to do." Spiral started to walk towards the door. "Azusa, you came here because you wanted closure in case one of us didn't make it back, right?"

"... Yeah..." Azusa answered, looking down a bit.

"Well, that made me realize something. Something important." Spiral stated. "I need to give them closure."

"Who?" Azusa asked.

Spiral turned his head around and simply smirked. "Who do you think?" He then left the room and closed the door.

After a few seconds, Azusa smiled. "Whatever your decision, I'll stand by you all the way."

* * *

Spiral stood in front of the girls' dorm room door with the words Ms. Krystal said to him repeating over and over in his head.

_Yes, these girls will get hurt, but unless you can give them some sort of closure, they might not recover from it!_

*In case I one of us doesn't make it, I have to put an end to this.* Spiral thought. *Thanks to Kokoro and Azusa, I finally have all I need to lay this all to rest.*

Spiral knocked on the door. "Aura, Momo, Hikari, are you in there?"

The door opened and all of the girls were in there, including the three Spiral had just asked for.

"What's this about?" Momo asked.

Spiral took a deep breath before speaking. "I need to talk with each of you, one at a time, in private."

* * *

The next morning at the Prophets' Headquarters, it was business as usual for all of the followers. In the detainment center, Blaise had entered and walked up to a lone guard.

"Mistress Blaise!" The guard reacted to her entrance. "What brings you here?"

Blaise said nothing and squeezed the guard's pressure point, knocking him unconscious. Blaise leaned the guard against the wall and made her way to one of thee nearby cells. In that cell was a lonely Kasumi. When Blaise opened the door, Kasumi looked at her.

"Don't worry." Blaise said. "I'm not going to hurt you. Do you want to go back to your family?"

Kasumi nodded. Her face looked like she had been crying for the last couple of hours.

Blaise smiled. "They're on their way. I'm here to make sure you remain safe until then."

Blaise held out her hand and Kasumi looked at it for a moment, then her face. Kasumi eventually grabbed Blaise's hand and the two walk away.

* * *

In one of the hallways, a couple of Prophet followers were walking around. Suddenly out of nowhere, something had kicked them in their heads and knocked them to the ground unconscious. That something was Momo and she looked around to make sure there was no one else around.

"The coast is clear. Come on in." She whispered.

Out of a ventilation grate on the side of the wall that was large enough to fit a small person single-file came out Spiral, followed by Takashi, Kokoro, Aura, Shroud, Eve, Hikari, Azusa, Asuka, Lilith, Valerie, Makoto, Pulse, Jeremy and Sophie.

"Good thing we let you in, first." Spiral said to Momo. "After you got out of the shaft, you heard someone come by, placed the grate back and hid while those guys passed. Once you knocked them out, that was our chance to proceed."

"Okay, so which way do we go?" Takashi asked.

"If the blueprints to the base Meda gave us were correct, then we head this way." Eve pointed in the direction the followers came from.

"You all go on without me." Pulse said. "There's something else I need to attend to. I cannot stress this enough. All of you, please come back alive."

"It's a promise." Spiral said.

Pulse walked up to Spiral and hugged him. After a brief moment of hugging, Pulse took off without saying another word.

As she ran, particular memories started to rise up.

_(Begin Flashback)_

_In the principal's office, the adults were all discussing the strategy for infiltrating the Prophets' Headquarters._

_"Right here is a ventilation shaft large enough for any of you to fit through." Meda pointed to a map of the Prophets' HQ. "If we can sneak in through there, we should be able to enter without being detected."_

_"That's good." Jeremy said. "I always did prefer more tactical approaches over straight-up assault."_

_"Pulse..." Meda looked at Pulse. "There is something I need to inform you about and I couldn't risk the children overhearing it. And I ask that everything I'm about to say must remain a secret between all of us."_

_"I'm listening." Pulse said._

_"Once we get inside, you must search for Blaise and Kasumi." Meda stated. "Because once someone figures out what's going on, Ryu will come searching for them. When you find the two, stay with them and if Ryu appears, he won't hesitate to kill either one of them. Your job is to protect both of them and ensure that they make it to the others before Ryu does. If necessary, stay behind and stall Ryu. Defeating him is not a priority, the safety of the escorted are."_

_"Wait." Makoto spoke up. "Does that mea-"_

_"Yes." Meda answered before Makoto could finish. "Pulse could die."_

_The whole room fell silent for what seemed like several minutes in the span of seconds._

_"... I understand." Pulse simply responded. "If I die protecting others, then so be it. To be honest, if I could pick how I wanted to die, that would be it."_

_(End Flashback)_

*Spiral...* Pulse thought as she ran through the halls. *Should I die, I at least wanted you to know... that I still care for you.*

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Cassandra Lee **Sophie**

Lisa Ortiz **V****alerie**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Alison Viktorin **Chan/Chun**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Wendee Lee **Ms. Krystal**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Johnny Yong Bosch **Takashi**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

Brina Palencia **Kasumi**

J. Michael Tatum **Jeremy**

Janice Kawaye **Makoto**

Ali Hillis **Blaise**

* * *

**Preview**

**Eve: **It might be best if we split up into groups.

**Spiral:** What about strength in numbers?

**Eve:** In smaller groups, we'd have a lower chance of being spotted by the enemy.

**Chan:** And wouldn't you know it, our group is the first to encounter members of the Arcana.

**Chun:** Sweet! We haven't gotten to Duel since Awakening of the Soul! I hope no one has forgotten what our Decks are! Next time on Arcana of Fate! The Empress and the Emperor! Seriously, you don't want to miss it!

**Spiral:** In the meantime, I'm going to play some Sword Art Online.

**Everyone:** NOOOOOOOOOO!


	20. Chapter 20: The Empress and the Emperor

**I'm sorry this chapter took a lot longer than anyone thought it would. I had to work on my other fan fiction as well as my friend's. I also got two new games and I've been helplessly addicted to them. I hope you all enjoy. In case none of you have noticed, Spiral had already picked one of the three girls, but I'm not saying which one yet (I dare you to guess who it is, although I won't answer). Don't forget to review!**

* * *

In the middle of the hallway of the Prophets' Headquarters, Eve was discussing with everyone else the plan.

"All right..." Eve spoke up. "Given the size of this place and the number of people in our group, I think it would be best if we split up into teams. Smaller groups of people would be harder to notice than a huge cluster of us, so this is probably for the best. Since there are 16 of us, our best bet would be for us to split into 4 groups of 4."

"As long as I get to team up with my dad, I'll be okay with whoever you give to us." Valerie said.

"Okay, Spiral and Valerie will be in group 1." Eve said as she wrote down on a map of the headquarters Spiral and Valerie's names in a circle with '1' right above it. "Anyone else want to join Spiral's group?"

"I'll be going, too." Momo raised her hand.

"Okay, that just leaves one more for group 1." Eve said.

Azusa boldly raised her hand. "I'm going with him as well."

"Are you sure?" Eve asked.

"I'm positive." Azusa confidently smiled. "Spiral's been like family to me. I want to be there with him, for him."

"Then I guess we have group 1." Eve said as she started to write for circles with numbers above them on the map. "All right, here are how we'll split up. Spiral, Valerie, Momo and Azusa will be group 1. The twins, Hikari and Mrs. Griffan will be group 2. The third group will consist of Kokoro, Lilith, Asuka and Sophie. Lastly, group 4 will be Shroud, myself, Aura and Mr. Griffan. The goals of groups 3 and 4 are to search for Ryu and Samuel, respectively. That leaves the other two groups to hold off any Prophet or Arcana members that would try to prevent them from reaching either one of them. We have no idea what our enemies are capable of and that's probably one of the scariest things about this mission. If we're not ready for what they've got, we could probably die. So above all else, stay alert, because if we let our guard down for even a second, they won't hesitate to take the opportunity to kill us. With that advice out of the way, let's do this!"

Everyone touched each others hands as if to make a pact to come back alive. Afterward, the respective groups went their separate ways.

* * *

Luna was walking down one of the corridors, heading for the facility's prison cells. When she entered the prison, she noticed one of the guards unconscious on the ground. Luna looked over to the cells and noticed nobody in them and simply glared at the guard as he started to regain his consciousness.

"... nuhh..." The guard groaned.

"Where is the prisoner?" Luna inquired.

"Huh?"

"Where the hell is the prisoner?" Luna asked, looking particularly angry in the eyes.

The guard looked to the cell and saw that there was nobody there. "I-I don't know! The only thing I remember before passing out was Mistress Blaise entering."

The instant Luna heard Blaise's name come out of the guard's mouth, her eyes narrowed. "So she is a traitor."

"P-please, forgive me, Mistress Luna!" The guard panicked.

"If I were Blaise, Samuel or even Ryu, I'd let this slide because you didn't expect it." Luna said.

The guard had a sigh of relief.

KRRSSHH!

The guard realized that he had just got stabbed in the heart by Luna's hand.

"But I'm not any of them, am I?" Luna asked as a twisted smirk enveloped her face and twisted her hand to induce even more pain. "I bet you're wondering 'why are you doing this to a comrade'. The truth is I never viewed any of you as my comrades, except for Grandmaster Ryu. And I'm not just killing you because you're incompetent."

Luna used her free hand to tear a metal portion of the wall off and used it to cut the guard's head clean off. Luna looked at the bloody, decapitated mess that fell to the floor.

"... It's because I hate humans." Luna then went over to a nearby console and pressed a button that said 'ALARM' above it.

* * *

As the twins, Hikari and Makoto walked through one of the corridors, they couldn't help but notice the endless white that permeated every wall and door in the facility.

"How can anyone even find their way around this place?" Makoto asked in a hushed voice.

"Says the woman who lives in a mansion the size of 10 houses." Chan muttered.

Chun was constantly turning her head, checking out every part of the corridor. "... Is it just me or is it suspiciously void of other people here?"

"Um... could you clarify that?" Hikari asked.

"We must have been walking down this hall for at least a few minutes." Chun stated. "And last we checked, the Prophets had a large number of members in their cult. If their numbers are that big, shouldn't we have encountered some already?"

The four of them stopped and looked around the corridor again.

"Maybe we came in while they were at an assembly?" Hikari guessed.

"That's a possibility, but..." Chun said. "I can't put my finger on it, but something's not right here."

"Are you sure?" Makoto asked.

"My sister might be silly most f the time, but when she gets serious, something is DEFINITELY not right." Chan stated.

"It's surprising how fast you caught on." An elegant, feminine voice spoke.

"Indeed. It seems the intruders are much more perceptive than we anticipated." A regal, male voice spoke.

The four of them looked around to see where the voices came from, but they didn't see anyone else.

"I suppose anyone would be confused if they heard voices coming from nowhere." The male voice said.

"I suggest you all head over to the room four more doors down on your right." The female voice said.

They did as the voices instructed and walked past the next few doors, entering the door on the right. Upon entering, the lights in the room came on revealing a large white room that consisted of a couple of couches and several pieces of art on pedestals. Chan observed two of the works of art.

"Hmm, it seems that the objects on the left side of the room are of Greek design while the objects on the left are Italian." Chan surmised. "Whoever lives here must have a thing for art."

"Indeed, we do." The female voice spoke again.

The four of them looked up at a set of stairs and standing at the top was a woman wearing an elegant blue dress and a man wearing a red, white and gold blazer.

"Welcome, intruders." The man said.

"Would any of you care for a cup of tea?" The woman asked. "Even among enemies, we so enjoy teatime."

"Sure, I could go for some tea." Makoto said.

"Their Prophets, duh!" The twins shouted.

"Not just any Prophets mind you." The man said. "Allow us to introduce ourselves."

"I am _Artemis _(Age 21), but my occupational title is Arcana Number III, Artemis the Empress." The woman introduced herself as she revealed a tattoo of the Roman numeral III on her left forearm.

"My name is _Cesare _(Age 21), occupational title being Arcana Number IV, Cesare the Emperor." The man introduced himself as he revealed a tattoo of the Roman numeral IV on his right forearm.

"So you're members of the Arcana!" Hikari said.

Artemis noticed Hikari. "Ah, you're the one who defeated Meda. News gets around here pretty fast when it comes to one of the Arcana failing. The followers under Merlin's control went into a panic when news of his death got here."

"Indeed." Cesare nodded. "If not for Grandmaster Ryu's intervention, they would still be confused."

"Wait, how did you even know we were here?" Chan questioned.

"We don't know the specifics, but we do know that the alarm was raised." Artemis answered.

"Although we were informed that the intruders had already defeated three members of the Arcana." Cesare added.

"I still can't believe that one of you managed to defeat Luna." Artemis said. "With that level of power, it was decided that only the Arcana are permitted to fight you."

"Which brings us to our next order of business." Cesare said. "Which of you will fight us first?"

"We should also point out that Cesare and I only fight tag Duels." Artemis said.

Chan and Chun smirked upon hearing that.

"My sister and I would be happy to fight you." Chun said, trying to crack her knuckles. However, when she did she felt a sharp pain throughout her arm and her eyes started to tear up and she had a strenuous grimace on her face. "... YeeooOOOOOWWWW! OWHAOW!"

As Chun cradles her hand and jumps up and down, everyone else in the room just stares at her with sweat drops on the back of their heads.

* * *

In another corridor, two figures in white cloaks were walking and looking around for something. One of the cloaked figures was short while the other was significantly taller and presumably male.

"Before you fight your foe, there are some things that I should inform you of." The cloaked man said.

The smaller figure remained silent as they continued walking down the hallway.

"This boy managed to defeat Luna without any aid." He continued. "Based on that information alone, it would be risky for even Samuel or Grandmaster Ryu to face him. You might not be anywhere near them in terms of rank or power, but you do have something special that could turn the tide in our favor. That is why I requested for Grandmaster Ryu to allow us to face him yourself. Unfortunately, we don't know the whereabouts of this particular intruder. Should we encounter one of his allies, do not confront them. We both need to conserve our energy and we can't risk falling in battle before you are able to reach him."

The smaller figure didn't respond, but the man knew that they were listening to every word he said and he smirked.

* * *

The twins, Artemis and Cesare had all prepared themselves for their up and coming Duel and took opposing sides of the room. Makoto and Hikari watched the Duel from the sidelines.

"I hope those girls will be all right.." Makoto said with a worried look on her face.

"Those two are a lot tougher and smarter than you think." Hikari placed her hand on Makoto's shoulder. "Trust me."

"The rules are simple." Artemis spoke. "Each Duelist starts with 4000 Life Points. When any Duelist loses all of their Life Points, that team loses the Duel."

"Should be simple enough for even a complete imbecile to understand." Cesare said.

"We wouldn't have it any other way." Chan smirked.

"To the, uh, team thing, not the imbecile thing." Chun tried to point out. "Come to think of it, does anyone even use the term 'imbecile' now?"

**Artemis (LP 4000) Cesare (LP 4000) Chan (LP 4000) Chun (LP 4000)**

"As a man and woman of social grace, we will allow your team to make the first move." Artemis said.

"Then I'll go first!" Chan drew her first card. "I summon Dualforce Defender (Lv.4 0/2200) in defense mode!"

A knight clad in black heavy armor carrying two shields even larger than himself appeared on the twins' side of the field.

"I set one card face-down and end my turn!" Chan said.

"Since I'm a lady, I shall go next." Artemis drew her first card. "I summon Queen's Knight (Lv.4 1500/1600) in attack mode and set one card face-down. That ends my turn."

"My turn!" Chun drew her first card. "I summon Dualforce Caterpillar (Lv.2 400/400) in defense mode!"

A caterpillar with a head on each end of its body appeared on the field.

"I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn!" Chun said.

"Finally, it is my turn." Cesare drew his first card. "I summon King's Knight (Lv.4 1600/1400) in attack mode. And when he's Normal Summoned while there's a Queen's Knight on my, or in this case 'our', side of the field, I can Special Summon Jack's Knight (Lv.5 1900/1000) from my Deck. I end my turn by placing one card face-down."

Chan drew her next card. "I summon Dualforce Samurai (Lv.4 1800/1400)!"

A samurai wearing red armor carrying two katanas appeared on the field.

"Dualforce Samurai can attack twice each turn!" Chan stated. "Dualforce Samurai, attack Queen's Knight and King's Knight!"

Dualforce Samurai charged toward Artemis' and Cesare's knights.

"I activate the Trap Waboku." Artemis responded to the attack. "This prevents our monsters from being destroyed this turn and any Battle Damage is negated."

Queen's Knight and King's Knight used their swords to block Dualforce Samurai's sword attacks.

"Before I end my turn, I equip Dualforce Defender with Ring of Magnetism!" Chan said. "It might decrease his attack and defense by 500, but now you have no choice but to attack him!"

"If that's all, I would like to proceed with my turn." Artemis said before drawing her next card. "I summon forth my own King's Knight, which allows me to summon my Jack's Knight. Next, I activate the Spell Card Polymerization to fuse together all three of my knights to Fusion Summon Arcana Knight Joker (Lv.9 3800/2500)."

A monster with that much attack power made the twins feel a little uneasy.

"I know that I have no choice but to attack your Defender, so I'll equip Arcana Knight Joker with Fairy Meteor Crush to grant his attack piercing properties." Artemis continued. "Arcana Knight Joker, attack Dualforce Defender."

"Your attack might hit, but Defender's special ability allows him to survive up to two attacks each turn!" Chan pointed out.

Arcana Knight Joker's sword struck Dualforce Defender, whom blocked the attack with one of his giant shields and Chan took 2100 points of damage.

**Artemis (LP 4000) Cesare (LP 4000) Chan (LP 1900) Chun (LP 4000)**

"Since it would be pointless if I had Jack's Knight attack your monster, I think it would be best to end my turn as is, but not before placing one card face-down." Artemis said.

Chun drew her next card. "First, since it's my Standby Phase, Dualforce Caterpillar gains 2 Dual Evolution Counters! I'll explain what these do later. Then I set one more card face-down and end my turn!"

Cesare drew his next card. "Arcana Knight Joker, attack Defender and end this Duel!"

"I activate the Trap Card Dual Shield!" Chun reacted. "For the rest of the turn, all damage from battles involving Dualforce cards are reduced to 0!"

Arcana Knight Joker struck Dualforce Defender, who blocked the attack with his giant shield and blue barriers appeared in front of Chan and Chun, negating the Battle Damage.

"My onslaught isn't over yet." Cesare said. "I activate the Quickplay Spell De-Fusion from my hand."

Arcana Knight Joker defused back into Queen's Knight, King's Knight and Jack's Knight.

"Now I'll have the two Jack's Knights attack so they can destroy that defense of yours." Cesare said.

Artemis' Jack's Knight attacked Dualforce Defender first, keeping its shield locked in place, then the other Jack's Knight rushed in and slashed Dualforce Defender, destroying him.

"King's Knight, attack that revolting worm, if you please." Cesare continued.

"Not so fast!" Chan responded. "I activate the Trap Dual Link! This allows us to increase a Dualforce monster's attack by the attack power of another Dualforce monster we have for the rest of this turn! Since Dualforce Samurai is out, my sister's caterpillar gains 1800 attack points!"

The caterpillar got larger, raised its body and used it to body slam the attacking King's Knight, destroying it and inflicting Cesare with 200 points of damage.

**Artemis (LP 4000) Cesare (LP 3800) Chan (LP 1900) Chun (LP 4000)**

"I end my turn by placing one card face-down." Cesare finished.

Chan drew her next card. "I summon Dualforce Angel (Lv.2 1000/600) in attack mode!"

An angel with the reflection of another angel behind her appeared on the field.

"When she's Normal Summoned, I can Normal Summon another Dualforce monster this turn!" Chan stated. "And since I have at least two Dualforce monsters, I can Normal Summon Dualforce Fiend (Lv.6 2200/1600) without a Tribute!"

A demonic-looking, humanoid monster appeared on the field.

"Then I activate the Spell Card Level Absorb." Chan continued. "By releasing one of my monsters, I can increase another monster's Level by the one I released. I Tribute Dualforce Angel to increase Dualforce Samurai's Level to 6! Dualforce Samurai, attack Queen's Knight and Cesare's King's Knight!"

Dualforce Samurai cut both Queen's Knight and King's Knight down, inflicting 300 points of damage to Artemis and 200 points of damage to Cesare.

**Artemis (LP 3700) Cesare (LP 3600) Chan (LP 1900) Chun (LP 4000)**

"Now Dualforce Fiend, attack Cesare's Jack's Knight!" Chan continued her attack.

Dualforce Fiend attacked Jack's Knight and destroyed him, inflicting Cesare with 300 more points of damage.

**Artemis (LP 3700) Cesare (LP 3300) Chan (LP 1900) Chun (LP 4000)**

"I place one card face-down and end my turn!" Chan finished.

"We activate our Traps." Both Artemis and Cesare said at once, revealing all two of their face-down cards to be the Trap Miracle's Wake while the last one was Call of the Haunted.

"Now we can bring back the monsters you destroyed." Artemis said as her Queen's Knight and Cesare's King's Knight and Jack's Knight came back from the Graveyard. "And I do believe it's my turn." Artemis drew her next card. "I overlay my King's Knight and Queen's Knight with Cesare's King's Knight to Xyz Summon Empress Knight (Rank 4 2700/1900)!"

A woman wearing turquoise and white regal armor and carrying a spear appeared on the field.

"Now I detach one of her Xyz Materials to increase my Life Points by 300 for each Warrior-type monster on the field. And as an added bonus, until your End Phase Warrior-type monsters can't be destroyed in battle." Artemis continued.

Empress Knight plunged her spear into the ground and a white light appeared around Artemis and increased her Life Points by 1200.

**Artemis (LP 4900) Cesare (LP 3300) Chan (LP 1900) Chun (LP 4000)**

"Empress Knight, attack Dualforce Caterpillar." Artemis declared her attack.

Empress Knight charged at Dualforce Caterpillar, ready to thrust her spear into it.

"I send the Spell Card Guardian Angel from my hand to the Graveyard to prevent my Caterpillar from being destroyed this turn!" Chun reacted.

"And I activate the Trap Half Unbreak!" Chan responded. "This not only prevents our monsters from being destroyed this turn, but cuts all Battle Damage in half!"

The spear struck Dualforce Caterpillar, but it survived the attack and Chun lost 1150 Life Points.

**Artemis (LP 4900) Cesare (LP 3300) Chan (LP 1900) Chun (LP 2850)**

"The two Jack's Knights will now attack your Caterpillar!" Artemis continued.

The two Jack's Knights attacked Dualforce Caterpillar and the shockwave of the attack inflicted a total of 1900 points of damage to Chun.

**Artemis (LP 4900) Cesare (LP 3300) Chan (LP 1900) Chun (LP 950)**

"I end my turn." Artemis said.

Chun drew her next card. "Now my Caterpillar has 4 Dual Evolution Counters! For each Dual Evolution Counter on my Caterpillar, it gains a Level, so now my Caterpillar is Level 6! Sis, mind if I borrow your cards?"

"Go right ahead." Chan said.

"I overlay our Level 6 Caterpillar, Samurai and Fiend!" Chun continued. "I Xyz Summon Dualforce Dragon Twins (Rank 6 2800/2400)!"

Out of the Overlay Network appeared two young Chinese girls with long, braided dark brown hair wearing blue Chinese clothing with gold dragons emblazoned on them to look like they wrapped around their bodies.

"Twins, attack Jack's Knight!" Chun declared her attack.

The Dragon Twin on the left jumped into the air a delivered a dive kick to one of the Jack's Knights. He wasn't destroyed, but Cesare still lost 900 Life Points.

**Artemis (LP 4900) Cesare (LP 2400) Chan (LP 1900) Chun (LP 950)**

"And guess what? These twins can attack twice each turn!" Chun pointed out.

The Dragon twin on the right did the same thing as the other twin on the other Jack's Knight, inflicting Artemis with 900 points of damage.

**Artemis (LP 4000) Cesare (LP 2400) Chan (LP 1900) Chun (LP 950)**

"I end my turn!" Chun finished.

"My turn, then." Cesare drew his next card. "I now overlay my Level 5 Jack's Knights to Xyz Summon Emperor Knight (Rank 5 2900/2100)!"

A man wearing golden regal armor carrying a massive broadsword appeared on the field.

"Time to activate his special ability!" Cesare said. "By detaching one of his Xyz Materials, you take 300 points of damage for each Warrior-type monster on the field."

Emperor Knight plunged his sword into the ground and a shockwave struck Chun, inflicting her with 900 points of damage.

**Artemis (LP 4000) Cesare (LP 2400) Chan (LP 1900) Chun (LP 50)**

"Emperor Knight, attack and end this Duel!" Cesare declared his attack.

"I activate Dragon Twins' special ability!" Chun reacted. "By detaching one of their Xyz Materials, they can negate an attack!"

As Emperor Knight charged, the Dragon Twins kicked the broadsword out of his hand thus negating the attack.

"Before I end my turn, I activate the ability of Empress Knight to increase my Life Points and prevent our Warrior monsters from being destroyed." Cesare said.

"I activate another of the Dragon Twins' abilities!" Chun responded. "Once a turn, they can negate a monster effect!"

In an instant, the Dragon Twins disappeared and reappeared in front of Empress Knight and jabbed her in the gut. They returned to their side of the field and Empress Knight looked like she was paralyzed.

"I end my turn then." Cesare said.

"My turn!" Chan drew her next card. "Perfect! I activate the Spell Card Dragon Explosion! When a Warrior or Dragon-type card destroys a monster this turn, the destroyed monster's attack points are deducted from your Life Points! It also increases the attack power of all Warriors and Dragons we have by 800! Now, Dragon Twins, attack those knights!"

Each twin performed a dive kick attack on Empress Knight and Emperor Knight, which resulted in the knights exploding and inflicting 3600 points of damage each to Artemis and Cesare.

**Artemis (LP 400) Cesare (LP 0) Chan (LP 1900) Chun (LP 50)**

"We won!" Chan and Chun shouted as they jumped for joy and gave each other a high five.

"I'm impressed." Artemis complimented them.

"Indeed, your skills as a tag team are truly extraordinary." Cesare agreed.

"In addition, you should also be grateful that even if we had won, your lives would have been spared." Artemis said.

Chan and Chun's excitement had soon been replaced with confusion after hearing Artemis' words.

"... What do you mean?" Chan asked.

"Blaise isn't the only member of the Arcana that disagrees with their methods." Cesare stated.

"Wait, how do you know about that?" Chun asked.

"You think she would be the only one that'd be a part of the insurrection?" Artemis asked.

"If we made this Duel life or death, one of us might not be alive right now." Cesare said.

"Boy, we really lucked out, huh?" Hikari spoke up.

"Are there any other 'good' Arcana members we should be aware of?" Makoto asked.

"Unfortunately, we can't speak of it." Artemis responded.

"Please understand that it is only to protect them." Cesare said. "When Ryu wants to keep an eye on you, there are some things that are difficult to remain hidden."

"Indeed, now let's be off." Artemis said.

"Wait, there's something that's been bothering me since we entered this room." Chun said. "How come half of this room is filled with Greek art while the other half has Italian art?"

"That is an easy question to answer." Artemis responded. "Our father is Greek and our mother is Italian."

"We're twins that are a result of cultures merging." Cesare said. "We often like to be reminded how those cultures are both parts of our identities."

"We don't mean to sound racist, but think of it as our special version of your Yin and Yang." Artemis said. "Two halves of a whole that represents ourselves."

"That's all I wanted to know." Chun said. "We should probably get going now."

Chan looked over to the door and thought to herself. *I wonder how the others are doing?*

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE'RE LOST?!" Asuka shouted, her voice reverberating through the corridor.

Apparently, the group consisting of Kokoro, Lilith, Asuka and Sophie had gotten lost in the fortress. Just then, Prophet followers poured in through the hallway and blocked their way forward.

"There are the intruders!" One of the followers shouted. "If we kill them, maybe we'll get a reward!"

The other Prophets cheered in agreement and charged at them. Asuka simply tilted and cracked her neck and cracked her knuckles.

"Finally some action." Asuka smirked. "Now I can release my anger on something."

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Todd Haberkorn **Spiral**

Cassandra Lee **Sophie**

Lisa Ortiz **V****alerie**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Christine Marie Cabanos **Azusa**

Luci Christian **Eve**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Alison Viktorin **Chan/Chun**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Laura Bailey **Hikari**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

J. Michael Tatum **Jeremy**

Janice Kawaye **Makoto**

Kate Oxley **Luna**

Colleen Clinkenbeard **Artemis**

Troy Baker **Cesare**

* * *

**Preview**

**Asuka:** I guess getting lost wasn't completely a bad thing.

**Kokoro:** I can't believe how violent you are, Asuka.

**Lilith:** I also can't believe how strong you are.

**Asuka:** Just wait. I'm gonna be kickin' that Arcana guy's ass, too. Next time on Arcana of Fate! The Hierophant!

**Lilith:** ... What's a hierophant?

**Kokoro:** It's like a priest.

**Lilith:** Then I'd better stay away from him! Priests will try to exorcise me!

**Asuka:** You're not a demon!

* * *

**Chan and Chun's Cards**

Dualforce Defender

Warrior/Effect (ATK 0 DEF 2200)

Level 4/EARTH

Up to twice per turn; this card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle.

Dualforce Caterpillar

Insect/Effect (ATK 400 DEF 400)

Level 2/EARTH

During each of your Standby Phases: Place 2 "Dual Evolution Counters" on this card. For each "Dual Evolution Counter" on this card: Increase the Level of this card by 1.

Dualforce Samurai

Warrior/Effect (ATK 1800 DEF 1400)

Level 4/EARTH

This card can attack up to twice per turn.

Dual Shield

Trap

Until the End Phase; All Battle Damage from battles involving a "Dualforce" monster is reduced to 0.

Dual Link

Trap

Select 2 "Dualforce" monsters you control. Increase each monster's ATK equal to the ATK of the other monster.

Dualforce Angel

Fairy/Effect (ATK 1000 DEF 600)

Level 2/LIGHT

When this card is Normal Summoned; you can Normal Summon 1 "Dualforce" monster in addition to your Normal Summon or Set. (You only gain this effect once per turn.)

Dualforce Fiend

Fiend/Effect (ATK 2200 DEF 1600)

Level 6/DARK

If you control 2 or more "Dualforce" monsters; you can Normal Summon this card without a Tribute.

Level Absorb

Spell

Tribute 1 monster you control and select another monster you control. Increase the selected monster's Level equal to the Level of the Tributed monster.

Guardian Angel

Spell

When your opponent selects a monster you control as an attack target; You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard: Until the End Phase the attack target cannot be destroyed (either by battle or card effect).

Dualforce Dragon Twins

Warrior/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2800 DEF 2400)

Rank 6/FIRE

3 Level 6 Monsters

This card can attack up to twice per turn. Once per turn; You can negate the activation of a Monster effect. You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to negate an attack.

Dragon Explosion

Spell

Until the End Phase, increase the ATK of all Dragon- and Warrior-type monsters you control by 800 and when a Dragon- or Warrior-type monster destroys a monster as a result of battle: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster.

**Artemis and Cesare's Cards**

Empress Knight

Warrior/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2700 DEF 1900)

Rank 4/LIGHT

3 Level 4 Warrior-type Monsters

Once per turn; You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to increase your Life Points by 300 for each Warrior-type monster you control, and if you do, until your opponent's End Phase, Warrior-type monsters you control cannot be destroyed (either by battle or by card effects).

Emperor Knight

Warrior/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2900 DEF 2100)

Rank 5/LIGHT

2 Level 5 Warrior-type Monsters

Once per turn; You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of Warrior-type monsters on the field x300.


	21. Chapter 21: The Hierophant

**All right, finally got this chapter done! Enjoy and review!**

* * *

Asuka had beaten up every last Prophet Follower that had dared to cross paths with her. The fact that she managed to do this alone baffled Kokoro and Sophie while Lilith... seemed very impressed.

"Never take me on in a straight up fight." Asuka said to the unconscious followers.

Asuka then tread over their beaten bodies and the other girls followed her, only they actually tried to sidestep the bodies. Sophie couldn't help but look back where they came occasionally.

*... I hope Dad's okay...* Sophie thought with a look of worry on her face.

* * *

Eve, Shroud, Aura and Jeremy continued walking their assigned corridor. They have yet to encounter anyone in the Prophets or the Arcana.

"I'm curious." Jeremy spoke up. "What exactly have you kids gotten yourselves into?"

"You'll have to ask Spiral." Shroud responded. "He's the one whom was responsible for taking in his daughter and yours."

"And it would be safe to assume that his daughter is from the future as well?" Jeremy guessed.

"You're right on the nose." Eve confirmed. "The Arcana wanted to capture your daughter and kill her because she supposedly bears the mark of the Fool, the number 0. If it weren't for Spiral's daughter, Sophie probably wouldn't even be alive right now."

"Then I'll have to thank her and Spiral when we meet again." Jeremy said.

"Why would you need to thank Spiral?" Shroud questioned. "It was his daughter that rescued yours."

"That's exactly why." Jeremy said. "It shows just how well he'll raise her. Aura, you haven't spoken a word yet. Is something the matter?"

"N-no..." Aura stuttered a response. "I... I'm fine."

Jeremy found the response to be somewhat suspicious, but he knew that it was pointless do pry about it any deeper so he remained silent and the group continue walking down the hallway.

* * *

Sophie, Asuka, Kokoro and Lilith continued forward until a figure with a white cloak appeared in front of them.

"You want some, too?" Asuka asked, cracking her knuckles.

"... That is very unbecoming of a woman." The figure said. Based on the voice, they could clearly tell that the figure was a man. "You need to learn your place in this world." The man removed his hood and revealed a man in his 50s, his hairs a little bit grey. His left sleeve revealed a Duel Disk on his left arm. "I am Arcana Number V _Adam_the Hierophant. Now which of you will be my first opponent?"

"Bring it on, old man!" Asuka responded with a cocky smirk. "You girls go on ahead while I take care of this guy."

"Remember, Asuka. Don't lose." Lilith reminded.

Sophie, Kokoro and Lilith all ran past Adam and continued to make their way through.

"Let's go!" Asuka activated her Duel Disk and Duel Gazer.

**Adam (LP 4000) Asuka (LP 4000)**

"Since you're a lady, you may have the first move." Adam said.

"Don't give me that chivalrous crap!" Asuka shouted. "You go first!"

"... Very well then." Adam said as he drew his first card. "I summon Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior (Lv.4 1850/1300) in attack mode. I end my turn by placing one card face-down."

"My turn!" Asuka drew her first card. "I summon Aquaria the Musician (Lv.3 1500/800)!"

A form of water shaped to look like it was holding a guitar appeared on Asuka's side of the field.

"Since I summoned the Musician while I don't control any other Water cards, I can Special Summon an Aquaria monster from my hand!" Asuka stated. "I'm going to summon Aquaria the Sniper (Lv.3 900/100)!"

Another form of water shaped to look like a person holding a sniper rifle appeared on Asuka's side of the field.

"And thanks to my Sniper, she can attack you directly!" Asuka declared her attack.

Aquaria the Sniper fired a water bullet at Adam, inflicting him with 900 points of damage.

**Adam (LP 3100) Asuka (LP 4000)**

"Next I activate the Quickplay Spell from my hand Adrenaline Xyz!" Asuka continued. "This allows me to Xyz Summon during my Battle Phase! Now I overlay my Level 3 Musician and Sniper to Xyz Summon Aquaria the Aural Brawler (Rank 3 2100/1700)!"

Out of the overlay network appeared a form of water shaped to look like it had spiked fists and a strange ripple in the center of its body.

"Aural Brawler, attack his Lightsworn Warrior!" Asuka continued.

Aural Brawler punched Lightsworn Warrior and destroyed him, inflicting Adam with 250 more points of damage.

**Adam (LP 2850) Asuka (LP 4000)**

"Before I end my turn, I activate Aural Brawler's special ability!" Asuka said. "Once a turn, I can detach one of her Xyz Materials so I can summon Water card from my hand and increase its attack power by 400! I'm summoning Aquaria the Knight (Lv.4 1900/1200)!"

Another form of water with its body shaped to look like armor except for its head, which had what appeared to be long hair, so it was probably a woman.

"I place one card face-down and end my turn!" Asuka finished.

Adam drew his next card. "I summon Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner (Lv.3 1000/1000). Now I discard a card from my hand so Lumina can bring back a Level 4 or lower Lightsworn monster from my Graveyard. Rise once more, Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior. Next I activate the Spell Card Solar Recharge. By discarding a Lightsworn monster from my hand, I can draw 2 cards, but then I send the next two cards to the Graveyard. Since one of the cards sent from my Deck to the Graveyard was Wulf, Lightsworn Beast (Lv.4 2100/300), I can Special Summon him to the field. I now equip Lumina with the Synchro Boost Equip Spell to increase her Level by 1 and her attack and defense by 500. Next I overlay Level 4 Lumina, Garoth and Wulf to Xyz Summon Priest of the Light Dominion (Rank 4 2700/1400)!"

A priest with white and golden robes carrying a golden tome appeared on the field.

"My Priest, attack her… 'knight'." Adam declared his attack.

A holy light shined on Aquaria the Knight and she was destroyed, inflicting Asuka with 400 points of damage.

**Adam (LP 2850) Asuka (LP 3600)**

"When my Priest destroys a monster in battle, he can detach one of his Xyz Materials to inflict you with damage equal to half of the destroyed monster's attack points." Adam stated.

Another holy light appeared above Asuka and appeared to inflict much pain on her as well as 1150 points of damage.

**Adam (LP 2850) Asuka (LP 2450)**

"I activate the Trap Card Aquatic Mirror!" Asuka reacted. "When I take damage from a card effect, you're inflicted with that damage as well!"

A stream of water rushed toward Adam and inflicted him with 1150 points of damage.

**Adam (LP 1700) Asuka (LP 2450)**

"I should also point out that my Priest can attack twice each turn." Adam added. "Attack her other monster now."

A holy light appeared above Aquaria the Aural Brawler and destroyed her, inflicting Asuka with 600 points of damage.

**Adam (LP 1700) Asuka (LP 1850)**

"Now it's time to detach another of my Priest's Xyz Materials so he can inflict you with more damage."

Asuka was once again inflicted with pain and 1050 points of damage by the holy light.

**Adam (LP 1700) Asuka (LP 800)**

"I end my turn." Adam said. "You should know your place, woman. Your unruly behavior is most unbecoming of a young woman such as yourself."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Asuka asked.

"As the Hierophant, I oversee that all adhere to societal norms." Adam replied. "I have no qualms with women having more rights and opportunities, but that doesn't mean a lady should act like a brute. A lady should be classy and gentle."

"That's bullshit!" Asuka shouted. "It's guys like you that I hate the most! Guys that think of women nothing more than pretty faces to ogle and screw! I used to think all men were like that… until I met them… They actually agreed with me and acknowledged that they weren't any different from them. That's not something a lot of guys will admit… And…"

_(Begin Flashback)_

_In the girls' locker room, Asuka and Kokoro were changing into their PE uniforms which, unlike most other Japanese schools, consisted of blue gym shorts._

"_Asuka, there's something about you that's been bothering me for some time now." Kokoro expressed._

"_What is that exactly?" Asuka asked._

"_Well, my Arcana power allows me to sense feelings in one's heart, you know?" Kokoro said._

"_What's your point?"_

"_How come whenever you're near Spiral, your heart feels lighter?"_

"… _What does that mean?"_

"_Usually, when a person's heart feels light, it's a sign of…" Kokoro then let out a sigh. "Screw it. Do you like Spiral?"_

"_W-wait, where would you come up with that? Maybe I just think Spiral is fun to be around."_

_(End Flashback)_

*That was somewhat of a lie.* Asuka thought. *I do think Spiral is fun to be around, but… deep down I knew I liked him. No, I loved him. He never cared if someone had bad manners or how annoying they can be as long as they were a good person. I always thought that men only cared about looks, but he proved me wrong. He changed my entire way of thinking with merely one meeting. It was weird that I felt that way about a guy for the first time in my life. My only regret is that I have yet to tell him how I feel… but it's too late. Even if I did, it would only complicate his situation with the others. I couldn't bear to do that to him. But… he did teach me that…*

"It's okay to be me." Asuka smirked and drew her next card. "First I activate Pot of Greed to draw two more cards! Since I don't have any monsters on my field, I can Special Summon Aquaria the Hunter (Lv.5 2000/900) from my hand!"

A form of water shaped to look like it was carrying a bow and arrow appeared on the field.

"And since there's a Water card in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon from my hand Aquaria the Reaper (Lv.5 2300/1300)!"

Another form of water shaped to look like it was carrying a scythe appeared on the field.

"Lastly, since I control a Water card, I can Normal Summon Aquaria the Paladin (Lv.6 2500/1000) without a Tribute!"

A third form of water designed to look like an armored knight carrying a shield and long sword appeared on the field.

"Next I activate my Paladin's special ability! Each turn, I can change his Level anywhere between 1 and 6! I'm choosing 5! Now I overlay my Level 5 Hunter, Reaper and Paladin to Xyz Summon Marin (Rank 5 3500/1800)!"

Out of the overlay network appeared a beautiful woman wearing a blue dress with many azure veils wrapping themselves around her arms.

"Marin, attack that Priest now!"

One of the azure veils elongated and wrapped itself around Adam's Priest. Streams of water enveloped and wrapped around the Priest like a snake until the Priest was destroyed, inflicting 800 points of damage to Adam.

**Adam (LP 900) Asuka (LP 800)**

"Now it's time for her special ability!" Asuka continued. "I can detach one of her Xyz Materials to inflict you with 1000 points of damage for each Water card I control! Since Marin is the only one, you take 1000 points of damage!"

Another stream of water wrapped itself around Adam and ensnared him, reducing his Life Points to 0.

**Adam (LP 0) Asuka (LP 800)**

Adam fell to the floor, completely drenched from the Duel.

"… I can't believe… that a woman could beat me…" Adam groaned.

"That's what you get for underestimating us." Asuka glared down at him.

"Heh, it was my own hubris that got the better of me…" Adam lightly chuckled. "Go on ahead and meet with your comrades… I cannot stop you anymore…"

Adam's body disintegrated into nothingness, leaving Asuka alone in the hallway.

"… I better catch up with Sophie and the others." Asuka said to herself. "I just hope they're all okay."

Asuka ran down the corridor in search of her friends.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another room, Morgan was watching Kokoro's group running down one of the corridors on a video monitor.

"That's right, walk right into my trap." Morgan grinned. "Soon you will pay the price for deserting us. Isn't that right, Naoto?"

Morgan looked over to Naoto, whom was just standing nearby with a blank expression on his face and in his eyes.

* * *

**English Voice Cast**

Caitlin Glass **Asuka**

Cassandra Lee **Sophie**

J. B. Blanc **Adam**

Maxey Whitehead **Shroud**

Luci Christian **Eve**

J. Michael Tatum **Jeremy**

Alexis Tipton **Aura**

Karen Strassman **Kokoro**

Cherami Leigh **Lilith**

Stephanie Young **Morgan**

* * *

**Preview**

**Kokoro:** What has Morgan done to Naoto?

**Eve:** 'What's happened to him'?! What's happened to this girl I'm going to fight! She's more hopped up than Shroud was when he accidentally ate that pixie stick!

**Shroud:** That was not a good day for me.

**Eve:** Next time on Arcana of Fate! The Lovers & The Chariot!

**Shroud:** Do you think we should tell the readers where everyone else is?

**Eve:** Not yet, and don't spoil anything!

* * *

**Asuka's Cards**

Aquaria the Musician

Aqua/Effect (ATK 1500 DEF 800)

Level 3/WATER

When this card is Normal Summoned while you control no other WATER monsters; You can Special Summon 1 "Aquaria" monster from your hand.

Aquaria the Sniper

Aqua/Effect (ATK 900 DEF 100)

Level 3/WATER

This card can attack your opponent directly.

Adrenaline Xyz

Spell/Quickplay

Activate only during the Battle Phase. Xyz Summon 1 Xyz Monster. (You must have the appropriate Xyz Material Monsters on your side of the field.)

Aquaria the Aural Brawler

Aqua/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2100 DEF 1700)

Rank 3/WATER

2 Level 3 WATER Monsters

Once per turn; You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card: Special Summon 1 WATER monster from your hand, and if you do, increase its ATK by 400.

Aquaria the Knight

Aqua/Effect (ATK 1900 DEF 1200)

Level 4/WATER

As long as this card remains face-up on the field: Your opponent cannot select another WATER monster you control as an attack target.

Aquatic Mirror

Trap

Activate when you take damage from a card effect. Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the damage inflicted to the controller of this card.

Aquaria the Hunter

Aqua/Effect (ATK 2000 DEF 900)

Level 5/WATER

If you control no monsters; You can Special Summon this card from your hand.

Aquaria the Reaper

Aqua/Effect (ATK 2300 DEF 1300)

Level 5/WATER

If there is a WATER monster in your Graveyard; You can Special Summon this card from your hand.

Aquaria the Paladin

Aqua/Effect (ATK 2500 DEF 1000)

Level 6/WATER

If you control a WATER monster; You can Normal Summon this card without a Tribute. Once per turn: You can declare a Level between 1 and 6; this card's Level becomes that Level until the End Phase.

Marin

Aqua/Xyz/Effect (ATK 3500 DEF 1800)

Rank 5/WATER

3 Level 5 Monsters

As long as this card remains face-up on the field: Your opponent cannot be selected as a target (either by battle or by card effect). Once per turn; You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of WATER monsters you control x1000.

Priest of the Light Dominion

Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2700 DEF 1400)

Rank 4/LIGHT

3 Level 4 LIGHT Monsters

This card can attack twice per turn. When this card destroys a monster as a result of battle; You can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to half of the ATK of the destroyed monster.


End file.
